FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team dropped the opener of a four-game PacWest Conference series on Thursday night, falling 16-4 at the hands of California Baptist.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: California Baptist 16, Fresno Pacific 4
Records: FPU (15-16, 12-13 PacWest), CBU (22-13, 15-10)
Location: FPU Diamond |Fresno, Calif.    
All-Time Series: CBU leads 32-19
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HOW IT HAPPENED:  
• Reigning PacWest Player of the Week Luke Navigato left the yard on the first pitch of the ballgame, giving the Lancers an early 1-0 lead.
• Ross Dodds got the Sunbirds on the scoreboard in the home half with a deep sac fly, but the Sunbirds stranded two runners and settled for a 1-1 score heading to the second.
• Angelo Capalupo opened the third inning with a double down the right field line, and a two-out Sunbird error helped the Lancers to total 10 runs for the frame.  
• CBU center fielder Ryan Williams added a solo homer in the fourth, but the Sunbirds got consecutive RBI hits from Dodds, Robby Steves, and Tristen Alvarez to plate three runs an inning later.
• The Lancers would add four more runs over the game's final four innings to hand FPU its second consecutive loss.
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
• Alvarez extended his reached base streak to 12 games, the second-highest active mark on the team. With his single in the fifth, he picked up the 100th hit of his Sunbird career. 
• Hunter Villanueva has 10 home runs on the season, tying him for the program's single-season record. 
• The Sunbirds have now dropped three of Esteban Lizaola's last four starts, and Thursday was the first time in that span that he failed to toss at least 100 pitches.
 
ON DECK:
• The Sunbirds and Lancers pick up the series on Friday with a doubleheader at FPU Diamond. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.