FRESNO, Calif.- In their final series of the season, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds seniors showed up and showed out as the 'Birds split a pair of games with the Menlo Oaks Monday afternoon at Dan Martin Stadium.
GAME ONE
In game one, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds dropped a hard-fought contest to the visiting Menlo College Oaks, falling 6–4 in a game that was a microcosm of their season: flashes of offensive promise offset by untimely execution and defensive miscues. Despite a 12-hit day from the Sunbird offense and solid starting pitching, Fresno Pacific couldn't hold off a resilient Menlo squad, who took advantage of late-inning breakdowns.
The game opened with promise for the 'Birds, who quickly got to work in the bottom of the first. Senior Trent Mallonee slapped a single and promptly stole second, setting the tone on the basepaths. Fellow senior Micah Barkenhagen drove him in with a two-out RBI single, and Roman Rosales followed with a double to left, plating Barkenhagen to make it 2–0. After Menlo responded with a run in the second, the 'Birds countered immediately. Jordan Smith reached on a fielder's choice and scored on a Shane Pursell triple scorched down the left field line, pushing the Sunbird lead to 3–1.
However, that early edge quickly evaporated in the top of the third. Menlo reached on a single, then doubled, and then plated a backbreaking three-run homer to left off Gallardo, swinging the momentum in favor of the Oaks. Gallardo, despite the hiccup, pitched six full innings, giving up eight hits and four earned runs while striking out five with no walks, an efficient effort that kept Fresno Pacific within striking distance.
The Sunbirds showed resilience in the sixth when they tied the game at 4–4. After Cole Brincefield was hit by a pitch and Jacob Solorio singled, a wild pitch by Menlo reliever advanced both runners. Smith capitalized with a chopper to third that brought Brincefield home, knotting the score. However, the Sunbirds couldn't cash in further, as Menlo's bullpen shut the door through the seventh and eighth.
The most dramatic, and perhaps decisive moment came in the top of the ninth. After reliever Tim Ruiz issued a leadoff walk, and a passed ball and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third. Another passed ball allowed him to score the go-ahead run, and later, a clutch two-out RBI single gave Menlo insurance at 6–4. The Sunbirds nearly mounted a rally in the bottom half, putting the tying run on base after a single and a walk, but pinch-hitter Brett Carrel was hit by a pitch and Jacob Solorio flew out to center to end the threat and the game.
Offensively, Fresno Pacific had plenty of bright spots. Four players—Mallonee, Henderson, Barkenhagen, and Solorio—recorded multi-hit games. The team swiped four bases, demonstrating aggressive baserunning, and they had runners in scoring position in nearly every inning, but their 10 left on base and one costly fielding error proved to be the difference, especially as Menlo executed a crucial double play in the ninth to extinguish Fresno Pacific's last major opportunity.
On the mound, Ruiz was charged with the loss, falling to 2–6 on the season. The bullpen trio of Gallardo, O'Bannon, and Ruiz combined for nine strikeouts and only three walks, but two hit batters and two wild pitches proved to be critical.
GAME TWO
In game two, the Sunbirds wasted no time setting the tone, launching a relentless assault in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff catalyst Trent Mallonee drew a walk and immediately stole second base, applying pressure. On the very next pitch, Gabe Henderson laced a rocket triple into center field, easily scoring Mallonee to open the scoring. Aaron Martinez Jr. followed with a clean RBI single up the middle, and moments later, Roman Rosales hammered a no-doubt solo home run to left field, his first of the day, to give the 'Birds a commanding 3–0 lead before the Oaks had even recorded a second out?.
On the mound, right-hander Dylan Senneway was electric. Utilizing a mix of pinpoint fastballs and sharp-breaking off-speed pitches, Senneway allowed just one hit and no runs across 4.1 innings of work. Senneway kept the Oaks off balance with three strikeouts and induced weak contact throughout, helping the Sunbirds maintain momentum?.
After a quiet second and third inning offensively, Fresno Pacific reignited in the fourth. Mallonee again sparked the rally with a single and advanced to second on a throwing error. Henderson capitalized, roping an RBI single that took advantage of another Menlo defensive miscue, then scoring himself on another Martinez Jr. base knock, stretching the lead to 5–0?.
Menlo would not go quietly, however. The Oaks mounted a furious comeback in the sixth inning, pounding out five hits and pushing across four runs against the 'Birds relievers Zach Dennis and Sam Cooper. A two-run double and RBI singles narrowed the gap to just one run.
Senior Connor Semone entered the game and quelled the Menlo rally. Inheriting runners in scoring position, he induced a huge strikeout to end the threat in the sixth. After the 'Birds tacked on a crucial insurance run in the bottom of the frame, thanks to a hit-by-pitch RBI drawn by Barkenhagen, the freshman closer returned to the mound in the seventh and worked around a single and a hit-by-pitch to nail down his first collegiate save?.
The Sunbirds' offense featured a balanced attack: Henderson starred by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a triple, and a walk, while Martinez Jr. turned in a perfect 3-for-3 performance with two RBIs. Rosales added the solo homer, and pinch-hitter Michael Gomez chipped in a clutch double during the later innings. Despite being outhit 7–10, Menlo was undone by defensive lapses, committing two costly errors that led directly to Sunbird runs?.
The Fresno Pacific pitching staff showed depth, as five different arms contributed, and the defense backed them flawlessly with zero errors committed across seven innings. The Sunbirds also flashed aggressiveness on the bases, swiping a key bag in the first inning that helped fuel their fast start.
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