FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno Pacific baseball team dominated in the conference opener against Pacwest opponent Biola. The Sunbirds pulled ahead in the first game 5-1, then came back from a last second tie to secure their second win of the day in the final inning, 2-1. The Sunbirds held Biola to a single run in both games of the doubleheader, boosting their overall record to 7-3 and 2-0 in conference.

"I'm very happy with the way we played," said head coach Oscar Hirschkorn. "We played team baseball with a "team first" mindset.  I thought we kept our focus all day, which is the challenge on doubleheader days."

GAME 1 | FPU 5, BU 1

FPU took an early lead in the first inning, scoring twice. Darryl Dilworth Jr. got things started for the 'Birds with a thrilling at-bat, going against nine pitches before ultimately getting walked. He was then moved to third on a double by Gabe Henderson. Aaron Martinez grounded out, driving in Dilworth, and Henderson stole third before scoring on a groundout by Titus Wheelock. This gave the Sunbirds a 2-0 advantage after the first inning.

In the second inning, FPU added another run. Eric Wilson was hit by a pitch, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a bunt. He scored on a single by Holden Hirschkorn, extending FPU's lead to 3-0 after two innings. FPU's offense continued in the third inning, keeping the Eagles at a distance. Henderson walked and stole second before advancing to third on a groundout. Wheelock singled to left, driving in Henderson to increase the lead. The score was 4-0 for the Sunbirds after the third inning.

To close out the top of the fourth, pitcher Jake Turley caught a bounced ball and jogged in the ball to Wheelock for the final out of the inning, making it the fourth scoreless inning for the Eagles. In the fifth inning, the Sunbirds scored again. Martinez walked, and Wheelock was hit by a pitch. Austin Lopez singled up the middle, bringing Martinez home and furthering FPU's lead to 5-0 after five innings.

Biola managed to score in the seventh inning, shrinking the gap. A hit by pitch and a single put runners on the corners. The Eagles reached on a fielder's choice, allowing their player to score their sole point of the game. The game ended 5-1 in FPU's favor.

Jake Turley delivered a stellar performance, pitching five innings while allowing only one hit and striking out six batters, contributing to his record of 2-1 for the season. Carlo Ramirez closed with two innings of no-hit ball, striking out three and securing a save by preserving the lead. Gabe Henderson scored two runs, hit a double, and stole two bases. Hirschkorn recorded two hits and drove in one run. Titus Wheelock delivered a key performance by collecting two RBIs with his hit and reaching base on a hit by pitch.

GAME 2 | FPU 2, BU 1

In the first inning, FPU took an early lead when Teejan Smith singled to left field, driving in Dilworth who had walked earlier in the inning. At the top of the third, a notable diving catch in the dirt by FPU's Henderson and a valiant stretch by Wheelock worked in combination to get the second out of the inning. The Sunbirds maintained a high level of play for the remainder of the match.

The game remained scoreless through the middle innings as both teams displayed strong defensive efforts. With two back-to-back batters hitting a full-count, pitcher Derek McNary didn't crumble under the pressure and struck out the second batter to close out the top of the fourth, FPU ahead 1-0. The Eagles managed to tie the game in the sixth inning when Nick Madole scored on a bases-loaded walk, leveling the score 1-1. The 'Birds struggled at the mound as they went through several pitching changes until returner Cruz Cabral changed the tide. At his hands, the next Eagle batter struck out swinging and the Sunbirds caught a driven fly to end the inning.

A valiant effort by Biola occurred in the seventh inning as the team managed to make it to third base. A stand-off between Cabral and the Eagles' batting lineup ended in the Sunbirds favor with a final pop up to the shortstop. The game remained tied 1-1 and both teams were preparing for the worst — extra innings.

In true Sunbird fashion, FPU regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh! Alex Lopez, pinch-hitting for the 'Birds, singled to third base and advanced to third on a fielder's choice paired with an error by the pitcher. Gabe Henderson delivered a crucial single to left center, allowing Lopez to score the go-ahead run, making it 2-1 to win the game. The 'Birds rushed the field as they advanced to a 2-0 conference record, starting better than they did the previous year.

Titus Wheelock posted a strong performance with two hits and one RBI while also drawing a walk. Henderson contributed with one hit and drove in a run, also adding a walk to his stat line. On the mound, McNary pitched five innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five batters. Despite the struggle in the sixth inning, Cabral overcame adversity and recorded a win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, striking out two and maintaining a clean hit column.

"Our starting pitchers, Turley and McNary, gave us great performances and I thought our bullpen did a really good job. Our hitters did well as well with Alex Lopez and Chris Clement having consistent solid at-bats."

The 'Birds are currently 7-3 overall and 2-0 in PacWest play.

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