RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Fresno Pacific used a four-run eighth inning to defeat California Baptist 7-5 on the road Thursday in PacWest action. The Sunbirds collected 15 hits and received a quality start from Wilson Ashford on the mound in the four-game series opener at Totman Stadium in the victory.

FPU, winners of four straight, improves to 19-8 overall and 7-6 in PacWest action and snaps CBU's season high five-game winning streak. The victory gives head coach Oscar Hirschkorn win number 299 of his career. The Lancers move to 14-13 overall and 6-3 in league action following the defeat.

"It was a very good team win tonight," said Hirschkorn. "Any time you can go on the road and win the first game of the series is huge."

Ashford earned his team-high fifth victory of the season with a seven inning, five strikeout performance. The lefty scattered eight hits and surrendered two earned runs. A pair of strikeouts in the seventh inning moved Ashford into third place in FPU history in career strikeouts at 172, passing Daniel Brodie and putting him one behind JD Salles for second.

"Wilson wasn't his usual self, but because he is a good pitcher he kept us in the game even when his stuff wasn't as strong as usual," noted Hirschkorn. "Josh Medeles and Tanner Irwin did a great job coming out of the pen. Each guy picked up their teammates, which is what good teams do."

The Sunbirds trailed 2-0 after four innings and used a two-run fifth inning to knot the game at two apiece. John Koretoff and Travis Beck led off the frame with singles before a CBU error loaded the bases. Nick Stoll and Steven Lozier followed with RBI groundouts.

The Lancers wasted no time in answering back behind a Stephen Lohr solo homerun to regain the lead at 3-2 in the bottom half.

After two innings of scoreless baseball, FPU collected four runs on four hits in the eighth to make the difference. The Sunbirds put their first six batters on base before Michael Hostetler delivered a two-RBI single to left center. Preston Scott added an insurance run in the top of the ninth with an RBI double.

CBU threatened late with two runs in the bottom of the ninth off reliever Kyle Rasmussen, but FPU's Tanner Irwin slammed the door on the win with a groundout with the tying run on second for the save.

Nick Pate led the offensive with three hits, while Michael Tittle, Scott, Stoll, Beck and Hostetler tallied two knocks apiece for FPU. Hostetler tallied two RBI and Koretoff and Tittle scored two runs.

"The offense did a bunch of different things well, we took good at-bats and stayed with our approach," said Hirschkorn. "We took good two-strike at-bats, ran the bases well, executed bunts and nailed a few gaps in timely situations. We need to carry the momentum into tomorrow's game against a very good team like CBU."

The two teams continue the conference series tomorrow with a single game at 6 p.m.