FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team picked up a series-opening victory on Thursday night, defeating Hawai'i Pacific 5-1 behind a strong outing from starter Esteban Lizaola. The Sunbirds have now won three straight, their second such streak of the season.

INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Fresno Pacific 5, Hawai'i Pacific 1
Records: FPU (12-11, 9-8 PacWest), HPU (12-13, 6-11)
Location: FPU Diamond | Fresno, Calif.
All-Time Series: HPU leads 11-10
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
• With Hunter Villanueva at the plate, Adam Aleman trotted in to score the game's first run on a wild pitch, giving Lizaola an early lead.
• FPU backstop Braden Frankfort singled home a run in the third to push the lead to 2-0 before following with an RBI double two innings later.
• Hawai'i Pacific broke through with a single off the bat of Ryan Torres-Torioka, cutting the Shark deficit to 3-1.
• Designated hitter Robby Steves came up with the biggest hit of the night in the home seventh, singling to center to give the 'Birds a pair of insurance runs.
• Lizaola retired the side in order in the final frame, picking up the first complete game of his career. The righthander picked up seven strikeouts and scattered just three hits en route to his second victory of the season.
• Frankfort turned in a three-hit evening, while Steves was the only other Sunbirds with a multi-hit performance.
• Villanueva reached base five times without swinging the bat, drawing four walks and getting hit by a pitch.
• HPU starter Marc Sauceda dropped to 2-3 on the year after fanning nine over six innings, and Evan-Thomas May managed to get through the final two chapters.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• With a base hit in his final at-bat of the game, Adam Aleman reached base for the 11th straight game.
• Lizaola has struck out at least six in each of his last six starts.
• FPU is now just one shy of their season-long four-game winning streak, which came to a close on February 24 against Academy of Art.

ON DECK:
• The Sunbirds and Sharks are set to resume the series on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader at FPU Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.