Fresno Pacific won in walk-off fashion Friday night with a Bryan Bucher hit-by-pitch after the Sunbirds loaded the bases in the 11th inning to defeat visiting Cal State East Bay 6-5.

Drew Merlo struck out nine over seven innings for FPU. Kyle Rasmussen (4-2) earned the win in relief. Baron Bower, Steven Lozier and Travis Beck had two hits apiece and Preston Scott delivered two RBI.

The Sunbirds (16-8) scored five runs in the second inning to take a 5-0 lead. CSUEB got three back in the fourth before adding one in the seventh and one in the ninth to extend the game.

FPU had a chance to win it in the 10th but a squeeze bunt play was unsuccessful. In the 11th, Lozier delivered a leadoff double. Scott walked and the two would later pull off a double steal to put runners and second and third. After a walk to Nick Pate, a 2-1 pitch hit Bucher for the victory. Bucher, coincidentally, also had a walk-off hit by pitch last season in a 2-1 win over Sonoma State.

It was the sixth time FPU has gone to extra innings this year, with the Sunbirds holding a 4-2 record in those games.

The Pioneers fell to 7-14 with the loss.

It was the first ever meeting between the two programs. The teams continue the series with a doubleheader tomorrow at 11 am.