ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - On Friday, February 18th, the Sonoma State baseball team began their final non-conference series of the season before starting conference play next week against Chico State. The Seawolves exploded in the fourth inning with a two-run bomb from Otis Statum to secure a 3-1 lead but would eventually give up 3 runs in the 6th to fall 4-3 to Fresno Pacific. 

Michael Benz would get the nod today once again and make his third start of the season. After two scoreless innings, Benz would give up a 1-out single where the runner would go on to steal second and third. After a big six pitch strikeout, Benz would surrender a 2-out single to center to score the game's first run. Sonoma State would pick up Benz in the bottom half of the inning though as they would respond with a leadoff double from Cole Brodnansky. Brodnansky would eventually come around to score on a ground ball hit to the shortstop from Desmond Gates. Gates would record the out but score the run to tie the game at one a piece. Benz would retire the next three batters for a quick inning, helping setup the meat of the Seawolves order in the fourth. 

Braeden Holliday would come to the plate and after a couple pitches high and tight, the Sunbirds pitcher would eventually plunk Holliday and put the leadoff man on. Back-to-back fly outs would bring power hitter Otis Statum to the plate. After going down 0-2 in the count, Statum would put a charge into a hanging breaking ball and send it deep over the left field fence for the two-run shot. Statum helped energize the Seawolf bench and crowd at Seawolf Diamond as he would put SSU on top 3-1 with his second homer of the year.  

Benz would get through the fifth and exit the game with 5 innings pitched giving up just 1 run on 3 hits while recording 4 strikeouts in his 59 pitches. Into the game came sophomore right hander David Newman with a clean slate in the 6th. Newman would struggle right off the bat though as he hit the Sunbirds first batter on his very first pitch. Newman would bounce back though and get a much needed pop up to third base to get the innings first out. The struggles would continue though as he hit the very next batter to put runners on first and second. After another pop out and a walk, the bases were loaded with two outs for FPU. a six pitch battle would end up in a two out single to right center which would plate two runs and tie the game up, 3-3. Fresno Pacific now had the momentum and they would force head coach John Goelz to take out Newman, still leaving runners on first and third with two outs. The big right hander Aidan Dolan would enter the game looking to end the threat as he made his third appearance of the year. Unfortunately, Dolan would inherit a tough situation and spike his first fastball into the dirt. The wild pitch would plate the Sunbirds runner on third and give them the one run lead. Two pitches later, the Sunbirds batter would fly out and FPU would leave the 6th with a 4-3 lead. 

Fresno Pacific's starter would strikeout two in the bottom half of the inning and put himself in position to get the win if their lead would hold. Matt Stearns would enter in the bottom of the 7th for FPU and the power throwing right hander would wiggle his way out of a couple of tough situations to throw three scoreless innings and secure the win, 4-3. Sonoma State had plenty of chances to win it in the 8th and 9th as they had a total of 8 runners left on base in the entire game, 4 of those came in the final two innings. Back-to-back hits from Desmond Gates and Joshua Medina gave SSU two on with no outs in the bottom of the 8th. However, three costly strikeouts from Stearns would get himself out of the inning and end the threat. Head coach John Goelz would utilize his lefties off the bench and pinch hit Brandon Herter and Jared Esparza to lead off the 9th. The move would prove successful as both Herter and Esparza recorded hits to put runners on first and second with no outs. The transfer outfielder Torreahno Sweet would come up to the plate and smash a ball right at the second baseman. The one hopper would turn into a double play leaving Desmond Gates a chance to score Herter from third with two outs. A 2-2 battle would end victorious for the Sunbirds as Stearns would get Gates to swing and miss at an elevated fastball to end the game and secure the win. 

Desmond Gates and Cole Brodnansky each finished with two hits on the day. Otis Statum smashed his second home of the season and finished the game 1-3 with two RBI's. Aidan Dolan would finish the game for SSU and throw 3.2 scoreless innings despite inheriting the tough situation in the 6th. Dolan would strikeout three batters in his 47 pitches. 

Sonoma State falls to 4-3 on the season after today's series opening loss to Fresno Pacific. splitting today's doubleheader. The Seawolves will return to action tomorrow in a doubleheader against the Sunbirds at Seawolf Diamond scheduled for 11/2. Live stats and stream links can be found at sonomaseawolves.com and all games can be streamed live on the CCAA Network. Be sure to follow your Seawolves on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get all the latest SSU athletics updates and information. Sonoma State athletics also has launched a new fan app in partnership with From Now On. Download the free app today in both the Apple and Google Play stores by searching Sonoma State Seawolves in the app store. @SonomaSeawolves | #NomaNation