Saturday, April 19, 2008 - FPU Field
#12 Sunbirds split with Sea Lions; Jackson goes deep twice

Game 1: box score / Game 2: box score

Fresno - In their final regular season home games, the Sunbirds split a doubleheader with Point Loma Nazarene. A late six run inning wrapped up game one, but the Sunbirds dropped game two in extra innings.

Josh Jackson continued to stay hot at the plate with two more home runs. He belted a a solo shot in each of today's games, which marked his third home run in as many games.

Point Loma jumped on the score board first with a run in the second inning, but the slim lead didn't last long as the Sunbirds evened the game in the third.

A run in the sixth and seventh inning gave the Sunbirds a 3-1 lead that was overcome by the Sea Lions two run eighth.

With the game knotted at 3-3, the Sunbirds put together a six run eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Coach Hirschkorn played the small ball card and called a suicide squeeze, right fielder Aaron Lynn bunted the elevated pitch down the first baseline to bring home pinch runner Jeff Taylor.

A catchers interference brought home the second run while the bases stayed loaded. Second baseman, Casey Padgett, zoned in on a pitch and hit a base clearing double to make the score 8-3. Padgett then crossed the plate on a pass ball for the final run of the game, 9-3.

Case Rigby also recorded a home run with his solo shot off the bench as a pinch hitter. Jackson lead the Sunbirds with a 2 for 4 game.

Game two was a back and forth battle that went into extra innings. The scheduled seven inning game lasted nine frames.

The Sea Lions scored two in the first inning to take the lead, but one run in both the first and second inning, for the Sunbirds, tied the game. Joey Norwood's solo shot in the second inning tied the game at 2-2.

Down by two, Jackson sent his second home run of the day over the center field fence, which brought the Sunbirds within one.

A wacky seventh inning allowed the Sunbirds to tie the ball game and send it into extra innings. Pinch hitter, Rigby, hit a high chopper over the third baseman's head to jump start the rally. He was later thrown out at second base on a steal attempt.

With two outs and no one on, Aaron Lynn reached base on a pass ball. The Sea Lions catcher had trouble finding the ball, which allowed Lynn to scurry to second base. Short stop Andrew Douglas re-entered the game for Lynn and advanced to third on another pass ball. An attempt to catch Douglas at third was over thrown and allowed him to come home and tie the game at 4-4.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning, but an RBI single by Point Loma brought home the game winner.

Jackson led the Sunbirds with another 2 for 4 game at the plate.

The split puts the Sunbirds record at 31-11 overall and 23-9 in the GSAC. They will be back in action this Thursday, April 24th as they travel down South to take on Biola University. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 pm.

Updated Records
Sea Lions:25-19, 18-14  GSAC
#12 Sunbirds: 31-11, 23-9 GSAC