FRESNO, Calif.- Game one of the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds four game series against the Chaminade Silverswords started Wednesday afternoon and featured strong pitching performances, timely hitting, and a dramatic eighth-inning rally that ultimately propelled the Sunbirds to victory 7-4.
Fresno Pacific wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. After Gabe Henderson reached on a single up the middle, he advanced to third on a walk and a groundout. A wild pitch allowed Henderson to cross home plate, giving the Sunbirds an early 1-0 lead. The offense continued to apply pressure in the second inning when Darryl Dilworth Jr. roped an RBI double to right-center, scoring Chris Clement. Moments later, Trent Mallonee followed with a double of his own, bringing in Dilworth Jr. to extend the Sunbirds' lead to 3-0.
Chaminade fought back in the top of the third inning. With two outs, the Silverswords delivered back-to-back singles, setting the stage for Safea Villaruz-Mauai, who lined an RBI single to right field to put the Silverswords on the board at 3-1. The Sunbirds' pitching staff kept Chaminade at bay for the next few innings, with starter Josiah O'Bannon working six solid frames, allowing just three hits while striking out five.
The Silverswords continued to chip away in the sixth inning. Villaruz-Mauai worked a leadoff walk, and Cade Fujii followed with another free pass. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Alex Greb lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Villaruz-Mauai. An error on the play allowed Fujii to take third, but O'Bannon escaped further damage with a strikeout to preserve the Sunbirds' slim 3-2 lead.
With momentum shifting, Chaminade struck again in the eighth. Villaruz-Mauai sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and Fujii followed with another base hit to put runners at the corners. Jackson Dorn then punched an RBI single through the right side, bringing home Villaruz-Mauai and tying the game at 3-3. Greb once again came through with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Fujii and giving the Silverswords their first lead of the night at 4-3.
Fresno Pacific, however, was unfazed and responded in the bottom half of the eighth with a dramatic four-run outburst. A leadoff error by the Chaminade first baseman allowed Jacob Solorio to reach safely, and Clement followed by reaching on another defensive miscue. Brett Carrel then laid down a well-placed bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Chaminade's pitching faltered as Jordan Smith worked a bases-loaded walk, forcing in the game-tying run at 4-4. With one out, Mallonee delivered the clutch hit of the night—a scorching double up the middle that cleared the bases, giving Fresno Pacific a commanding 6-4 lead. Henderson capped the rally with a sacrifice fly, plating Smith for an insurance run and extending the Sunbirds' advantage to 7-4.
In the ninth, closer Josh Moreno, who had entered in the eighth to halt Chaminade's surge, retired the side in order, securing his second win of the season. The Sunbirds' pitching staff combined for six strikeouts while allowing just eight hits, with Moreno throwing 1.1 scoreless innings to seal the victory.
Offensively, Fresno Pacific pounded out 11 hits, led by Mallonee's three RBIs and two-hit performances from Henderson, Rosales, and Dilworth Jr. Their ability to capitalize on Chaminade's defensive mistakes and deliver in high-leverage moments proved to be the difference in an exciting, back-and-forth contest.
UP NEXT
The Sunbirds will be back at Dan Martin Stadium tomorrow for a pair of seven inning games with the Silverswords starting at 2pm.
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