FRESNO, Calif.-In what turned into a marathon at Dan Martin Stadium, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds battled tooth and nail but ultimately came up short in a 15–12 loss to the Cougars on Saturday afternoon. Despite a furious late-game comeback fueled by a grand slam from Trent Mallonee and a two-run homer by Cole Brincefield, the 'Birds early pitching struggles and defensive miscues proved too large a hole to climb out of.

The Sunbirds opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Mallonee doubled and scored on a single from shortstop Gabe Henderson. However the Cougars answered swiftly, hanging up a pair of runs in the second and four more in the third. They seized control with aggressive base running and timely hits—including a two-run double.

Trailing 6–1 by the top of the third, the 'Birds refused to fold. A two-run fourth inning followed by another two-run rally in the fifth closed the deficit to just one. Aaron Martinez Jr. and Roman Rosales each chipped in RBI's, while Henderson added his second of three hits. Rosales also executed a sacrifice fly, one of the few manufactured runs in a game otherwise dominated by power hitting.

The Sunbirds cycled through six pitchers in a collective attempt to stifle the Cougars' relentless bats, but it was a struggle from the outset. Starter Dalton Alford lasted only 2.2 innings, surrendering six runs on five hits and three walks. The bullpen couldn't contain the bleeding, as relievers Tim Ruiz and Jacob Turley were tagged for six more runs combined. Turley, who took the loss (2–2), was hit especially hard in the seventh when the Cougars tacked on another three-run inning to take a commanding 12–5 lead.

Command was a consistent problem throughout the game: FPU pitchers combined to walk six and hit two batters. 

Despite the 12–5 hole heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Sunbirds ignited a thrilling rally. After Solorio doubled and a walk and HBP loaded the bases, Mallonee launched a no-doubt grand slam over the left field fence, narrowing the gap to just 12–9. It was Mallonee's first home run of the year and his most impactful game of the season, finishing 2-for-6 with four RBIs, two runs scored, and a double.

Brincefield kept the momentum going in the ninth, delivering a two-run homer—his first of the season—after a Rosales walk. Solorio followed with his third walk of the game and stole second, setting up another scoring opportunity. Gavin Enns drove in Fresno Pacific's 12th run with a sacrifice fly, but the rally would end with a sharply hit ball resulting in a double play as the 'Birds fell 15-12. 

UP NEXT 
The Sunbirds will head to La Mirada for a four game series with the Biola Eagles kicking it off with a double header with first pitch of game one scheduled for 2pm. Both games will be streamed on the PacWest Network. 

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