Saturday, March 8, 2008 - FPU Field
#23 Sunbirds split doubleheader with Eagles

Game 1

Fresno- A mixture of great pitching and timely hits added up to a 13-0 victory in favor of the Sunbirds. Chris Schwinden threw 5 2/3 innings of hitless baseball and the offense did more than just back him up by pounding out 14 hits. 

The second inning opened the flood gates as the Sunbirds scored five runs. Justin Keeney and Case Rigby wrapped back to back singles and Roger Schroeder was hit by the next pitch to load the bases. Joey Norwood followed up with a scoring single to right field. Patience by Jared Coleman led to a bases loaded walk to score Rigby for the second run.

A one out ground ball by Anthony Lowell platted another run and Thomas Raymundo would hit the third single of the inning to bring home runs four and five.

Three more runs were scored by the Sunbirds in the fourth inning and they also tallied another five in throughout the final five innings.

Schwinden didn't give any opportunity for the Eagles to come back in his eight innings of work. The right hander only surrendered three hits while striking out 10. He was rewarded the win to improve his record to 3-1.

Raymundo recorded three RBI's and went 2 for 3 at the plate. Coleman also had a multi hit game as he went 2 for 2 and Graham Harrison hit his first home run of the season for one of his two hits.

Game 2 

Game two was more of an even battle. It took more than the seven scheduled innings for the winner to be decided.

Keeney came up big with two clutch home runs in consecutive plate appearances. Both blast recorded two runs each.

Like the first game, the Sunbirds jumped ahead in the second inning. Keeney was hit by a pitch and Rigby followed up with a single to advance Keeney to third. With runners on the corners, Jacob Burns cashed in with a two run double.

Daniel Brodie, starting pitcher, didn't give up a run until the fifth inning. Biola managed to score two runs to tie things up as the final innings approached.

Not to be out done, Keeney hit a two run jack over the right field fence to undo the tie, but the Eagles' offense was just getting started. Once again Biola had a multiple run inning but this time took the lead with three runs scored.

Keeney was given another opportunity to step up big for the Sunbirds, and that he did with another two run home run to tie the game at six. Still in the seventh inning, the Sunbirds had the bases loaded with one out, but hit into a double play which pushed the game into extra innings.

Biola kept its run production alive with three more runs in the top half of the eighth and that would be too much for the Sunbirds to rally back.

The doubleheader split puts the Sunbirds record to 12-5 overall and 8-3 in the GSAC. They will be back in action Thursday, March 12, as they travel to take on The Master's College. Currently the Mustangs are ranked #9 in the NAIA.

Updated Records
Biola: 12-7, 8-6 GSAC
#23 Sunbirds: 12-5, 8-3 GSAC