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22BASE_Crow_Brady
Anna Barakhoyeva
8
Winner Academy of Art AAU-BA~1 7-17
7
Fresno Pacific FPU-BASE 11-8
Winner
Academy of Art AAU-BA~1
7-17
8
Final
7
Fresno Pacific FPU-BASE
11-8
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 R H E
Academy of Art AAU-BA~1 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8 14 4
Fresno Pacific FPU-BASE 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 1 0 0 0 1 7 16 0

W: Skillman, Ryan (1-0) L: Crow, Brady (2-2) S: Carriger, Collin (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Sunbirds Rally But Fall In Extras to Open Series Against Art

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific baseball team returned home after its trip to Hawai'i for a four-game set against Academy of Art. After trailing 6-0 early, they were able to rally back and force extra innings, but ultimately fell 8-7 after playing 13 innings.

QUOTABLE

"That was a tough loss.  Even though there were some good things, like Brady Crow, we made too many mistakes and it cost us. There isn't anything to do but put that game behind us and come ready to play tomorrow." – head coach Oscar Hirschkorn
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
  • The Urban Knights got on the board first after scoring in the top of the first inning.
  • The Sunbirds started off the bottom of the first with a Kahlid Johnson single, followed by Tommy Rover getting hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with no outs.
  • Rover and Johnson were able to swipe second and third, followed by an Andrew Valdez walk that loaded the bases with no outs.
  • Art was able to get out of the jam after getting a strikeout on Andrue Lackey, and then forcing Jared Aguilar to hit into a 4-6-3 double play to keep their 1-0 lead.
  • The Urban Knights were able to open things up by scoring four runs in the top of the second to make it 5-0, and they were able to add a sixth run in the third inning.
  • After scoreless innings from both teams in the fourth, fifth and sixth, Brady Crow entered the game in relief of Garrett Cooper and sat down the side in order in the top of the seventh inning.
  • That led to a big bottom half of the seventh for the Sunbirds, scoring four runs to make it 6-4.
  • It started when Gavin VanGronigen led the inning off with a single, followed by singles from Kyle Willman and Jack Foote to load the bases with no outs for the second time in the game.
  • Cole Yoshida hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring VanGronigen to put FPU on the board. That was followed by a single from Johnson, bringing in Willman and advancing Foote to third base, putting runners on the corners with just one out.
  • In a chaotic play, Foote was picked off at third base, but Rover was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second with two outs.
  • A wild pitch advanced both runners into scoring position, and then a single from Valdez brought both runners in to make it a two-run game.
  • Crow was able to retire the side with two strikeouts in the eighth inning, and the Sunbirds were able to score in the bottom half of the eighth to make it 6-5.
  • Willman got on with a one-out triple, and a single from Foote brought him in to cut the deficit to one.
  • After Art started off the ninth inning with a leadoff bunt single, Crow forced a 6-4-3 double play, followed by a groundout to Aguilar at first to send the game into the bottom of the ninth, FPU down one.
  • Rover led off the inning by reaching on an error by the Art second baseman. With one out, Donte Valdez hit a single to center field, putting runners on first and second, and then with two outs, VanGronigen came up with the biggest hit of the night for FPU, singling to center field and bringing in Rover to tie the game and force extra innings.
  • Crow continued his dominance on the mound, sitting the Urban Knights down in order with two more strikeouts.
  • Neither team was able to put a runner on base in the 10th or 11th innings, but Art was able to get something working in the 12th with two runners on and just one out. It was quickly halted by Crow when he struck out the fourth batter of the inning and forced the last to pop out to Aguilar at first.
  • After FPU went down in order in the bottom of the 12th, the Urban Knights were able to put two runs on the board, all with two outs, to take a lead going into the bottom of the 13th.
  • The bottom half of that inning for FPU started with a leadoff single from Foote, and Yoshida followed by reaching on another error by the Art second baseman.
  • Pursell came in to pinch run for Foote, and he was able to reach third base on an error by the Art catcher, putting runners on the corners and still no outs.
  • A throwing error by the pitcher on a pick-off attempt plated Pursell to make it a one-run game and sent Yoshida to second base and still no outs, but the Urban Knights were able to pick him off at third and force Johnson to fly out to put the Sunbirds down to their final out of the night.
  • Rover put together a strong at-bat that resulted in a single up the middle, but Art was able to force a ground ball and end the game on a fielder's choice.
 
STATS FROM THE GAME
  • Foote went 4-for-6 at the plate with an RBI.
  • Crow pitched six and two-thirds innings of relief, striking out eight batters and giving up two runs, none of which were earned.
  • A. Valdez had a team-high two RBI's.
  • Rover and Willman each scored two runs.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Blue and Orange will play games two and three of the series on Friday in doubleheader action. Game one is scheduled for 2 p.m.
 
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