FRESNO, Calif.-Jaylen Rodriguez's strong start was backed by plenty of pop as the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds (11-9 overall, 7-7 PacWest) bounced back with an 11-5 win after a 9-6 loss to the Hawai'i Hilo Vulcans (12-16 overall, 5-9 PacWest) Friday evening at the FPU Diamond.

In game one, Connor Semone worked in and out of trouble before Hilo took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.

The Sunbirds responded by capitalizing on what would be one of ten walks from Hawai'i Hilo in the first game, as Justin Tiger reached in the bottom of the inning and scored on Gabe Henderson's RBI double down the left field line.

FPU benefitted from more walks in the fourth, loading the bases on them, before Jordan Smith's sacrifice fly scored Tommy Rover to give FPU a 2-1 lead.

But the Vulcans struck for three runs against Semone in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead.

The 'Birds got one back in the bottom of the inning as Henderson singled to start the inning. After a hit batter, two more walks forced in Henderson to pull FPU within a run.

Semone kept the Vulcans quiet for the next two innings, but Hilo got to FPU's bullpen for five runs in the eighth and ninth innings to stretch their lead to 9-3.

But the 'Birds didn't go away as Trent Mallonee singled to start the bottom of the ninth.

Andrew Valdez doubled him home and then Donte Valdez blasted a homer over the centerfield fence to pull within three.

After three walks loaded the bases, FPU had the winning run at the plate before Hilo finally shut the door on the Sunbirds.

But FPU took the offensive momentum into game two as Rodriguez made his first start of the year.

The righty worked quickly through the first two innings, including a four-pitch 2^nd inning to get Fresno Pacific to the plate.

With two outs in the bottom of the inning, Chris Clement reached on a walk and stole second. Cole Brincefield hit a tough grounder to short that was thrown away, bringing Clement in to score and giving FPU a 1-0 lead.

After a Smith single, Shane Pursell singled home Brincefield to make it 2-0.

Mallonee roped a two-run double to make it 4-0 after two innings.

Rodriguez continued dealing in third, working around a bunt single that ended his streak of eight straight outs to start the game, and got FPU back to the plate.

Andrew Valdez blasted his sixth homer of the season to extend FPU's lead to 5-0.

Hilo got on the board with a two-run homer in the fourth, cutting the difference to 5-2.

FPU's offense got those back as Pursell roped his first homer of the year and Rover singled home Henderson to push it back to 7-2.

Rodriguez posted another zero in the fifth before the FPU offense added another four-run inning behind another Mallonee two-run double and Andrew Valdez's second homer of the game.

That made it 11-2 heading into the sixth.

Hilo scored one more run against Rodriguez who finished after a hyper-efficient six innings of work.

The Vulcans scored two more in the seventh to make it 11-5.

For Rodriguez, he alleviated the workload on FPU's bullpen despite his move to the rotation.

The righty at one point had thrown 46 of 51 pitches for strikes and worked deep in the game.

Eleazar Aguirre closed it out in the seventh.

The Sunbirds wrap up the series with a double-header against Hilo on Saturday, beginning at noon.

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