Fresno Pacific's playoff hopes were down to their final two outs before
Steven Lozier delivered a walk-off three-run home run to right field to secure a PacWest sweep over Holy Names Saturday at FPU Diamond. The homer powered the Sunbirds to a 4-3 win in the nightcap and marked his second of the day, as the senior provided all the offense in the 2-0 win in the opener on Senior Day.
FPU improves to 31-15 overall and finishes 19-13 in the PacWest with the pair of victories. The Sunbirds now need Point Loma to lose twice at first-place Dixie State next week to qualify for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) playoffs and begin defense of their World Series title. HNU moves to 19-27 overall and 9-19 in conference play.
"I was seeing the ball well all day off their starter and I knew I was going to have an opportunity to do something for my team when I was on-deck," said Lozier. "I've been a part of five senior days now, and this year we have a real close-knit group of guys who are always pulling for each other. For us to get the series win and get all four games like we did is huge."
The Sunbirds received a quality start from
Eian Raeber in the opener with 7.2 shutout innings. The senior scattered seven hits and struck out five for his fourth win of the season.
Tanner Irwin earned his sixth save of the season in 1.1 innings of relief.
Lozier's two-run shot to right field came with two outs in the fifth. After two quick outs,
Baron Bower extended the inning with a walk to bring Lozier to the plate. The lefty finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Bower finished 1-for-3 with a run scored.
In the nightcap,
Drew Merlo (4-1) kept the Sunbirds within striking distance by tossing 4.0 innings out of the bullpen. He allowed one unearned run and struck out four. Starter
Jake Martinez struck out four in 3.0 innings of work, while allowing two earned runs on five hits.
FPU entered the final inning down 3-1 and opened the frame with a
Travis Beck walk and a pinch-hit single from
Nick Stoll. After a Bower fly out, Lozier turned on a 1-0 pitch that sailed well beyond the right-field fence for the game-winning home run.
Lozier finished the game 1-for-4 with three RBI and Bower was 2-for-4 to lead the offense.
McKay France delivered an RBI ground out in the fourth inning.
The Sunbirds finish regular season play next week on the road with a series against Azusa Pacific that will count as non-conference. FPU took three of four from the Cougars in Fresno earlier this season. Game one is scheduled in Azusa for Wednesday, April 29 at 6 p.m.
In-between games, FPU honored its 12 seniors as they played in their final home game wearing Sunbird orange.
Read more about the seniors:#22
Wilson Ashford - A pitcher from Fresno, California, Wilson joined the Sunbirds in 2012 out of Clovis North HS. He'll graduate as the most accomplished pitcher in school history with awards that include 1st-team All-PacWest, NCAA Division II All-West Region, NCCAA All-American, NCCAA West Region Pitcher of the Year and FPU Athletics' Senior of the Year. He is the program's all-time leader in nearly every major pitching category including innings pitched with 288, wins with 28, ERA at 2.60 and strikeouts with 202. This season he's 8-2 and leads the PacWest with a 1.76 ERA.
#29
Travis Beck - A catcher from Visalia, California, Travis joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Cuesta College. He caught fire during the team's World Series run last season, hitting .383 over the team's final 15 games and being named World Series MVP after batting .500. He tallied five RBI during the championship.
#12
Trent Hinkle - A pitcher from Madera, California, Trent joined the Sunbirds in 2012 out of Madera High School. Trent has earned scholar-athlete honors every season and holds a team-high 3.96 GPA.
#14
Michael Hostetler - A third baseman from Hanford, California, Michael joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Reedley College. He's started 90 games over the past two seasons and been instrumental to the team's success. A .311 career hitter, he hit .364 during the World Series last season, including a 4-for-4 showing in the national title game to earn all-tournament honors.
#2
John Koretoff - A catcher from Fresno, California, John joined the Sunbirds in 2012 out of Clovis West HS and has been a mainstay in the Sunbird lineup for four years. He's started 148 games for the Sunbirds and played a key role in last year's World Series title, earning NCCAA All-American honors after leading the team in homeruns. Koretoff was also named the FPU Athletics' Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
#16
Steven Lozier - An outfielder from Clovis, California, Steven joined the Sunbirds in 2011 out of Buchanan HS. He's started 116 games for the Sunbirds collecting 110 hits, 75 runs scored, nine homeruns and 59 RBI.
#11
Drew Merlo - A pitcher from Fresno, California, Drew joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Fresno City College. In two seasons in the starting rotation he's won 11 games and struck out 120 batters. He ranks fourth in program history with a 2.97 career ERA and fourth in opponent's batting average as well. He is tied for the program's all-time record for career shutouts and took a no-hitter into the 8th inning against Point Loma last season.
#25
Nico Payan - An outfielder from Sanger, California, Nico joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Reedley College. He's appeared in 41 games as an outfielder and is a valuable pinch-runner for the Sunbirds, scoring four runs and stealing four bases during the World Series last season.
#26
Eian Raeber - A pitcher from Hanford, California, Eian joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Hanford West HS by way of Northern Colorado. He's been one of the team's top arms for the past two seasons, both in the rotation and the bullpen, and holds the program's career record for the lowest opponent's batting average, including holding hitters to a single-season record .179 last season. His 2.82 career ERA is second all-time and he ranks third in complete games, including a 2-hit shutout of top seed Oklahoma Christian in the World Series last season.
#13
Michael Rodrigues - A pitcher from Kerman, California, Michael joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Fresno City College. He's appeared in 26 games out of the bullpen over the past two seasons, posting a career 2.45 ERA and leading the team in saves last season, including three scoreless innings in the team's World Series opener.
#10
Michael Tittle - A shortstop from Fresno, California, Michael joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Fresno City College. He's started 100 games at a premium defensive position for the past two seasons, making an impact with his bat and his glove. He's collected 105 hits, 70 runs scored, six homeruns and 53 RBI.
# 7
Devin Turner - An outfielder from Peoria, Arizona, Devin joined the Sunbirds in 2014 out of Scottsdale Community College. He's appeared in 36 games, making 19 starts for the Sunbirds, and was a member of the 2014 World Series team.
