FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team split a PacWest Conference doubleheader on Friday, taking the opener 8-1 before falling 3-2 in the series finale. The Sunbirds claimed the middle two games of the series, giving them their first split against a PacWest Conference opponent this season. 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Game 1: Fresno Pacific 8, Concordia 1
Game 2: Concordia 3, Fresno Pacific 2
Records: FPU (9-16, 5-7 PacWest), Concordia (14-17, 9-7 PacWest)
Location: FPU Diamond | Fresno, Calif.
Series: Concordia leads 27-21
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Justin Fuson fanned three of the first five Eagle hitters of the day, and Adam Aleman opened the scoring in the second inning, plating Garret Laine with a single to right-center.
• An RBI-groundout got the Eagles on the board in the top of the fifth to tie the game, but the Blue and Orange answered with a big bottom half.  
• Aleman, Tristen Alvarez, and Jared Aguilar each singled to begin the frame, and Angel Flores singled up the middle to five FPU a 3-1 lead.  
• Matt McGrady singled to right-center for another run, and Laine followed with a single through the right side to make it 7-1 in favor of the 'Birds.
• Laine added another RBI-hit in the seventh to give FPU the final run of the game, and Kobie Anton came on to record the final six outs out of the Sunbird bullpen. 
• A throwing error and a single through the right side allowed Concordia to fire the opening salvo in the second inning of the nightcap.
• The Eagles went up 2-0 in the fifth, but Flores came up with a two-out base knock that put the Sunbirds on the scoreboard.
• Laine opened the home sixth with a hustle double to left-center, and an error turned Nick Dodd's sacrifice attempt into a tie game with the go-ahead run at second base.  
• After moving to third on a groundout, Dodd was doubled off after a botched suicide squeeze, forcing the Sunbirds to head to the final inning with a 2-2 game intact.   
• Concordia designated hitter Cooper Moore homered to right in the top of the seventh, handing the Eagles the lead heading to the home half. 
• Aguilar singled to open the frame, and Flores came up with a two-hit to extend FPU's hopes of winning the series, but the 'Birds would get no closer.
 
STATS FROM THE DAY
• Five Sunbirds turned in a multi-hit performance in the opener, highlighted by Laine's 3-for-4 effort at the dish. 
• Fuson pitched seven strong innings for the Sunbirds, striking out five and allowing just one run on six hits en route to his third win of the year. 
• After Fuson hit the century mark in pitches for the third straight outing, Anton overcame three hits in his two frames.
• Alex Garcia turned in 6.1 strong innings in the finale for the Blue and Orange, scattering four hits and allowing just two earned runs.
• Garrett Cooper came on in relief for the second straight day, once again retiring the only two men he faced.
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• The team that scored first won all four games of the series.     
• Aguilar has now reached base in ten straight games, the longest streak on the team.
• Laine finished this weekend's series with a 7-for-8 performance at the plate that included a pair of doubles and two RBI.
 
SOCIAL:
• Twitter - @fpusunbirds
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUathletics
 
UP NEXT:
• The Sunbirds are back in action on Friday, when they head south to take on Biola in another four-game PacWest Conference series. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. in La Mirada.