ROHNERT PARK, CALIF. - On Saturday, February 19th, the Sonoma State baseball team fell in a doubleheader finale of a three game series with the Sunbirds of Fresno Pacific. After losing by one run the day prior in a tough series opener, SSU would record 9 runs on 11 hits including two home runs but come up just short, 9-11. In game two, a 1-1 ball game would break open in the 6th as the Sunbirds were able to get deep into the Seawolves bullpen and put up a six spot to eventually win the game, 7-1. 


FPU vs. Sonoma State DH #1:

In game #1 of the day, sophomore right hander Tanner Ivey would get the start for SSU and make his third appearance and second start of the season. Back-to-back walks would put Ivey in a tough spot early on as he went on to give up three runs in the innings off of a 2 RBI double and 2-out RBI single. The Seawolves offense has been catching fire though in the last couple of weeks and they would pick up Ivey in the bottom half of the first putting up two runs of their own. Desmond Gates would work a leadoff walk to start the inning. After a wild pitch would move him to second, veteran utility player Joshua Medina would smash a double to left center to plate Gates and get one back. A long one out single from Braeden Holliday would allow Medina to hustle from second and come around to score. Just like that, head coach John Goelz and his group were able to cut Fresno's lead in half. Ivey would be able to settle down as he threw two more scoreless innings and recorded two strikeouts before exiting the game in the fourth. 

Jason Doktorczyk would come in relief for SSU and get the first two batters in the fourth. After a 2-out single to center, the next Sunbirds batter would take a 2-2 pitch deep over the left center fence and in convincing fashion, extend FPU's lead to 5-2. Doktorczyk would induce a pop out to end the inning. The damage would worsen in the top half of the 5th as Doktorczyk would give up back-to-back homers and allow three runs in the inning. After the game seemed to get away from the Seawolves a bit, they would turn around in the 6th and make things interesting once again with some high powered offense. 

After the veteran right hander Ross Goldschlag entered the game and recorded a five pitch inning, 1-2-3 inning in the top half of the 6th, SSU would put a four spot to make it an 8-6 game. After a leadoff error and a pinch hit double from Sean Pauly to make it first and third, Niko Tejada would get his first RBI of the year with a deep sac fly to center to score Logan Douglas from third. Desmond Gates would draw yet another walk to put runners on first and second and then head coach John Goelz would make another smart decision and cash in on the left handed pinch hitter Josh Lopez who would deliver a no doubter to right field, plating three runs and making it a two run game once again. 

The newly found momentum would be shut down quickly once again as Fresno Pacific was able to grab three runs in the top of the 7th on three hits. This see-saw affair was not over though as another no doubter from Braeden Holliday in the bottom half of the inning would make it 11-7. Holliday led off the inning and jumped on the first pitch. With some work to do and just two innings left, the Seawolves would threaten again in the 8th and cash in two runs to make it a two run game for the third time. Goelz would cash in once again with another pinch hitter in Torreahno Sweet who would lead off the inning with a line single into right field. Two batters later Josh Lopez would remain hot and single to right field to put runners on first and second. A six pitch walk from Medina would load the bases for the home run hitter, Braeden Holliday. Holliday would battle to 2-2 but ultimately strikeout in the big situation to give the Sunbirds two outs. Ezele Wicks would come to the plate and show some great discipline as he worked a six pitch walk of his own to plate Sweet. After a mound visit and a pitching change, Logan Douglas would hit an infield single up the middle to make it a two run game and score Lopez. The tough play for the second baseman up the middle behind the base would not allow him to get Douglas as everyone moved up a base. Otis Statum would strikeout to end the threat but SSU would have one more chance to tie up the game in the 9th. 

Right hander Vito Rodin would pitch the top of the 8th and work his way around a lead off double. After fielding a sac bunt, Rodin would induce a crucial groundout with the infield in and then get the last batter to fly out to right field to end the threat. Nick Roth would come in to pitch the top half of the 9th and strikeout two of the three batters for a clean 1-2-3 inning. A leadoff single from Sean Pauly would set the table for the following batters as the tying run would come to the plate. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, a ground ball out from Gates would send Pauly to third with two outs. Home run hitter Josh Lopez would work a crucial six pitch walk bringing Joshua Medina to the plate. After a grueling seven pitch at bat with four foul balls, Medina would pop out to second to end the game and give the Sunbirds the wild win in game one. 

After coming in as a pinch hitter, Josh Lopez went 2-2 with a three run homer. Braeden Holliday also hit a solo shot and had two hits on the day. Sean Pauly also had some productive at bats off the bench as he recorded two hits and scored a run. Hogan Weaver, Vito Rodin, and Nick Roth all combined for just one run on two hits in each of their innings of relief. The Seawolves would look to find some pitching and keep the bats hot as they turned around for game two of the day and the series finale.          


FPU vs. Sonoma State DH #2:

In game two of the day, freshman Jared Esparza would make his first start of the season and his third appearance. After a single and two walks in the first, a controversial balk would plate a runner and give Fresno Pacific an early 1-0 lead. Esparza would strikeout the next batter to end the threat and also give him his third K of the game after striking out the other two outs. Clean baseball would be played through the second and third as Esparza was able to settle down and get through three innings. He would strike out four and give up just one hit in his 50 pitch outing. In the bottom of the fourth, the Braeden Holliday and Josh Lopez combination would strike again as both would record back-to-back hits. A double down the right field line for Lopez would be enough to score Holliday all the way from first and tie the game. 

After a scoreless 5th, Blake Janowicz would depart after two innings after giving up a leadoff walk to start the 6th. John Goelz would head to the pen and bring in hard throwing right hander Tanner Fonoti. Fonoti enters his first year with the program after transferring from Napa Valley JC. His SSU debut would not go as planned, however, as he would give up a double to right center to the first batter he saw and then hit the very next batter on the first pitch. With the bases loaded, Fonoti would walk in two runs to surrender the lead before being pulled from the game. Senior right hander Sir Gomez would come in and make his second appearance of the season. After striking out the first batter with the bases loaded to get a big second out, Fresno Pacific would get two huge clutch hits to plate a combined four runs. A 2- RBI single followed by a 2-RBI triple would break the game wide open. Gomez would get the next batter to pop up to end the inning, but not before the six combined runs in the inning to give FPU a commanding 7-1 lead.    

SSU would record just one hit in the final two innings and ultimately drop the series finale 7-1. After dropping all three games to the Sunbirds, Sonoma State falls to 3-6 on the season. The Seawolves will return to action next week and open up CCAA play on the road against nationally ranked Chico State. They will begin their four game series with the Wildcats on Friday at 2:00 PM. 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