LA MIRADA, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team defeated Biola 3-1 in Saturday's doubleheader opener, but late heroics helped the Eagles take the finale and split the series.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP: 
Game 1: Fresno Pacific 3, Biola 1
Game 2: Biola 4, Fresno Pacific 2
Records: FPU (11-18, 7-9 PacWest), Biola (18-14, 9-11)
Location: Eagles Diamond | La Mirada, Calif.
Series: Tied 19-19
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Solo home runs provided all the scoring in the opener, with Ross Dodds' lifting his fourth of the year to left-center to open the scoring in the fifth.   
• Brian Hefner made it a 2-0 Sunbird lead an inning later, and Angel Flores went deep to open the final frame.  
• Biola got one back with a solo shot off the bat of Jackson Collins in the bottom of the ninth, but the Eagles would get no closer.
• Tristen Alvarez' singled to right to get the 'Birds on the scoreboard first in the series finale, and Flores again homered three innings later.
• A two-out throwing error allowed the Eagles to continue the inning in the sixth, and Jarron Largusa made the Sunbirds pay with a two-run dinger that tied the game. 
• Connor Kostecka walked it off with another two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to give Biola the series split. 
 
STATS FROM THE DAY
• Starter Esteban Lizaola gave the Sunbirds 7.1 innings of three-hit baseball, fanning six without allowing a run.
• Garrett Cooper preserved Lizaola's first win and picked up his fourth save of the year after delivering the final 1.2 innings on the hill.  
• Alex Garcia scattered four base hits over three innings in the nightcap, and Josh Acosta was the first man out of the FPU pen.
• Acosta was on the wrong end of two unearned runs in his 2.2 innings, and Cooper overcame three baserunners to record the next five outs.
• Carson Schellenberg took the extra-inning loss for FPU after surrendering two runs on a walk and a hit in the home ninth. 
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• The Sunbirds have split each of their last five doubleheaders dating back to March 23.  
• Jared Aguilar's ten-game streak of reaching base safely came to a close on Saturday. That is the longest such streak this season for the Sunbirds, and he is the fourth player on the team to do so.  
 
SOCIAL:
• Twitter - @fpusunbirds
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUathletics
 
UP NEXT:
• The Sunbirds are back on the road on Friday, when they head to the Bay Area to open a four-game league series with Holy Names. First pitch from Alameda is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.