FRESNO, Calif. – The FPU baseball team hosted Concordia for a pair of PacWest Conference contests on Friday, but the Eagles played spoiler at FPU Diamond. Concordia took the series opener by a final of 4-2 before hanging on for a 7-5 extra innings victory in the nightcap. 
 
Andrew Valdez opened the scoring with a solo homer to left in the home first, regaining the team lead with his 10th longball of the year. The Eagles answered in the following inning, taking advantage of two Sunbird errors to pull in front 2-1. 
 
The Eagles scratched across their third run in the third inning before tacking on one more in the sixth, making FPU's rally attempt a taller task. Trent Mallonee singled through the left side in the back half of the eighth, but the Sunbird threat came up just short. 
 
Connor Semone was saddled with the loss despite allowing just two earned runs and fanning five Eagle hitters over eight innings of work. Ian Mortensen and Kyle Jimenez teamed up for the final frame, overcoming a one-out single for a scoreless ninth inning. 
 
Valdez and Gabe Henderson each provided the Blue and Orange with a pair of base knocks, with the latter swiping three bags to get into double-figures for the year. Additionally, Henderson reached base for the 16th consecutive game, making him FPU's current leader. 
 
The nightcap opened with the Sunbirds and Eagles exchanging zeroes for the first three innings before Concordia broke through with a two-out RBI single in the fourth. Fresno Pacific responded with a sac fly from Tommy Rover and Justin Tiger gave the home nine a lead with a hard single up the middle. 
 
Concordia pulled even in the top of the fifth, and the Sunbird offense once again followed with a two-run home half. Ramon Rosales and Donte Valdez provided the heroics in the fifth, but the Eagles moved on top with a three-run outburst in the next inning. 
 
Henderson plated Mallonee on a single to left in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at 5-5. The seventh inning came and went with little threat from either squad, forcing the game into extra innings. 
 
Two more Sunbird errors allowed Concordia to score a pair of runs in the top of the ninth. Despite a loud out from Donte Valdez just in front of the warning track, FPU was unable to plate the tying run. 
 
The bullpen proved to be a strong point for the 'Birds in Game 2, as Tim Ruiz, Josiah O'Bannon, Harry Tooze and Mortensen combined for four strikeouts and zero earned runs over the final 3.1 innings of the ballgame. 
 
The Sunbirds and Eagles are back in action on Saturday with another doubleheader from FPU Diamond. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.