AZUSA, Calif. – Preston Scott delivered a two-run triple in the seventh inning to power Fresno Pacific over Azusa Pacific, 4-3, Wednesday at the Cougar Baseball Complex. The Sunbirds received a quality start from Jake Martinez on the mound in six innings of work for their fifth straight victory.

FPU moves to 32-15 overall with the victory, while the Cougars fall to 29-18. The contest counted as a non-conference game.

The Sunbirds scored first on a Michael Tittle two-run homer in the fourth off APU starter Josh Staumont, who was recently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 83rd-overall prospect in the upcoming MLB draft. Tittle took the first pitch he saw in the inning deep to left to put FPU up 2-0.

After APU tied the game in the sixth with a two-run home run from Ryan Santana, Scott answered the next half inning with the game-winning hit. The righty took a 2-1 offering to right field for his team-high fourth triple of the season to plate McKay France and Baron Bower. 

The Cougars plated a run in the seventh to make the score 4-3, but wouldn't find the tying run the rest of the way.

Martinez earned the win for FPU and moved to 6-4 on the season. The righty scattered eight hits and struck out three. Tanner Irwin earned his seventh save of the season after firing three innings of scoreless ball with one strikeout. The junior entered the game with runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh with no outs before escaping with the one-run lead. 

Scott finished 2-for-5 with two RBI to lead the FPU offense, while Bower and France totaled two hits apiece. Steven Lozier, the reigning PacWest Player of the Week, scored a run and finished 1-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to seven games. 

Dillion Miyashiro took the loss for APU in relief to fall to 0-2. Staumont left the game after six full innings and allowed four hits, two earned runs, three walks and struck out seven.

The series continues tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. in Azusa.