Box Score OAKLAND, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team started the conference schedule on a high note on Thursday night, coming away with a 12-5 road win over Academy of Art.  
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Fresno Pacific 12, Academy of Art 5
Records: FPU (4-3, 1-0 PacWest), ARTU (5-5, 0-1 PacWest)
Location: Laney College Field | Oakland, Calif.   
All-Time Series: FPU leads 20-5
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HOW IT HAPPENED:   
• The Urban Knights got the scoring started in the first inning, but Eddie Sievers' 2-RBI double highlighted a three-run third that gave the Sunbirds their first lead of conference play.
• ARTU cut the deficit back to one in the home fourth when designated hitter Evan Ray homered to straightaway left field.
• Hunter Villanueva left the yard with a two-run shot in the top of the eighth, pushing the FPU lead back to three.
• The floodgates opened in the final chapter, as seven FPU runs came in to score in the inning. The Knights managed to get three runs back in the bottom half, but the damage had been done, allowing Fresno Pacific to hold on for the win.
 
STATS:
• FPU starter Esteban Lizaola gave the 'Birds seven innings on the hill, whiffing nine Urban Knights and allowing just two runs along the way.
• Southpaw Kobie Anton tossed the final two frames out of the Sunbird bullpen, retiring the side in order in the eighth before laboring through the final three outs.
• The Sunbirds racked up 13 hits as a team, marking the third consecutive performance with at least 10 hits.
• Luke Lacy took the hard luck loss for the Urban Knights after scattering three earned runs and punching out 13 over seven innings of work.
• Relievers Gonzo Rios and Mason Vorhees wore the collar over the next two frames before Ben Clegg and Caden Spilsbury eventually stopped the bleeding.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• Villanueva has now homered four times through the first seven games of the year, and he has homered against each team he has faced.
• Thursday was Lizaola's second consecutive start with nine strikeouts, and his dominant performance helped him pick up his first victory as a Sunbird.
• The Urban Knights have won the series against FPU in each of the last two years.
• FPU's current three-game win streak is tied for the longest streak at any point last season.
 
ON DECK:
• FPU and Academy of Art will pick up the series on Friday evening, with first pitch from Laney College Field slated for 6:00 p.m. The Sunbirds will look for consecutive victories in the series for the first time since 2015, when they swept the Urban Knights in four games.