FRESNO, Calif.-The reliable parts of the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (6-9 overall) flickered in a pair of losses to the Holy Names Hawks (9-5 overall) Saturday at the FPU Diamond.

The Sunbirds fell 13-8 and 8-3, dropping the non-conference series to Holy Names in their final tune-up before conference play.

The Sunbirds typically sturdy defense and stout pitching surrendered big innings that forced FPU's offense to play catch up for most of the day.

The 21 runs surrendered and 3 errors on the day were the most given up by Fresno Pacific in a double-header this season.

The offense had its answers for Holy Names' early runs, but the Hawks proved persistent throughout.

Holy Names had  1-0 lead before Miguel Ortiz answered right back in the bottom of the 1^st with an RBI single.

But the Hawks tallied 8 runs in the 2^nd, including a pair of homers by Nick Berry, that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the day.

Jaylen Rodriguez delivered 4.1 innings of solid relief before the FPU offense made things interesting.

After a pair of unearned runs in the fifth, Jordan Smith's three-run double cut the deficit to three runs in the sixth.

But Holy Names would score four more runs while FPU was limited to just a Koutarou Matsumaru RBI before the end of the game.

Looking to force a split at that point, the Sunbirds kept it even after the first two innings of Cam Gallardo's start.

The righty kept Holy Names off the board before a passed ball helped the Hawks break through in the third.

Holy Names would add another run in the inning but Fresno Pacific earned it right back when Matsumaru belted a two-run homer to left field to tie it.

But the Hawks offense proved to much as Holy Names scored in every inning the rest of the way while the Sunbirds tallied just a single run.

Fresno Pacific will hit the road to open PacWest play next weekend against Biola for a four game series in La Mirada.

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