FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team picked up an extra-innings win on Saturday, defeating 12th-ranked Colorado Mesa on a walk-off single. The Sunbirds snapped CMU's seven-game win streak along the way, with junior
Nick Dodd coming up with the game-winning hit.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Fresno Pacific 4, #12 Colorado Mesa 3 (11 innings)
Records: FPU (3-6), #12 CMU (10-2)
Location: FPU Diamond | Fresno, Calif.
Series: CMU leads 3-1
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• The two teams exchanged zeroes until the bottom of the fifth, when
Michael Warkentin grounded out to plate the first run of the game.
• Tristen Alvarez followed with a double down the left field line to push FPU's lead to 3-0.
• The Mavericks quickly got two of those back, answering in the top of the sixth on a two-single double from third baseman Spencer Bramwell.
• Josh Shapiro's sac fly tied the game just before the seventh-inning stretch, paving the way for extra innings after the Sunbirds failed to score in the next three innings.
• Brian Hefner doubled to left-center to open the bottom of the 11th, and Dodd followed with a single to right to give the Blue and Orange the win.
STATS FROM THE DAY
• Starter
Alex Garcia gave the Sunbirds 6.1 innings before giving way to the Sunbird bullpen, striking out a pair and allowing just two earned runs.
• Garrett Cooper moved from second base to relieve Garcia in the seventh, overcoming two hits to record three scoreless frames.
• Josh Acosta finished off the 10th for the 'Birds, retiring both batters he faced to keep the game at three heading to the 11th.
• Hefner took over on the mound in the final inning, opening the frame with his first collegiate punchout before ending the inning the same way.
• Dodd's single helped Hefner earn his first collegiate win, while CMU reliever Frankie Fitzgerald was hit with his first loss of the year.
• Hefner and Cooper were the only Sunbirds credited with a multi-hit afternoon, while Alvarez provided two of the team's four RBI.
BEYOND THE BOX:
• The Sunbirds scored a total of three runs in the first three games of the series prior to Saturday's win.
• FPU's team ERA dropped to 2.71 on Saturday, with 12 of the 13 arms to see action sitting under 3.00.
SOCIAL:
• Twitter -
@fpusunbirds
• Instagram -
@fpusunbirds
• Facebook -
/FPUathletics
UP NEXT:
• The Sunbirds are off until March 2, when they head to the Aloha State to open PacWest Conference action with a doubleheader against Hawai'i Pacific. First pitch from Honolulu is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. PST.
#TeamFPU
