FRESNO, Calif. – The Concordia University Irvine baseball team split Thursday's doubleheader with Fresno Pacific, improving to 19-15 on the season. In Game 1, Bailey Collins hit two home runs, tying the CUI all-time home run record with 35 career home runs.  Cooper Moore also hit two home runs in Game 1, moving into 4^th place on the CUI all-time home run list with 24.
 
 
Game 1: CUI 16, FPU 3
 
The Eagle offense put on a clinic in Game 1, starting with a five-spot in the third inning. Jair Donovan drove in the first run of the game with a single up the middle to score Matt Lautz. Moore followed that with a sac fly, scoring Donovan. Collins added on with a solo home run to right center field, his 13th of the season and No. 34 of his career. Will Bonn later singled to left field, scoring Jeff Pellegrino from third base. CUI cashed in one more time in the inning with another single to left field off the bat of Xavier Gonzalez, scoring Tony Garcia III.  
 
In the fourth inning, Moore tripled to center field scoring both Donovan and Lautz and giving CUI a commanding 7-0 lead. With no outs in the inning, Collins stepped up to the plate and launched yet another home run down the right field line for career home run No. 35, tying Derek Patterson for the all-time record. Collins now has seven home runs in his last 11 contests and has four multi-home run games this season.
 

Bailey Collins has just tied the CUI all-time home run record with his 35th career home run and 2nd of the day!! pic.twitter.com/b5eTKYzVY5

— CUI Baseball (@CUIBASEBALL) May 13, 2021

"It's definitely pretty cool to be able to achieve that, but I would say it was never something I really thought about. I wouldn't be where I am without my teammates and coaches and the goal is always just to try and help our team win." - Bailey Collins

 
Later that same inning, Gonzalez collected two more RBI on a single to center field, scoring both Garcia III and Pellegrino to give CUI an 11-0 lead.
 
Collins continued to crush the Sunbird pitching staff with and RBI double to center field in the fifth inning. Pellegrino then singled up the middle, scoring Collins and giving CUI a 13-2 lead.
 
Cooper Moore went deep in both the sixth and eighth innings, driving in three total runs for five RBI on the game. Moore finished the game with 24 career home runs, moving into fourth place on the all-time home run list, trailing Matt Ross (32) for third all-time. Moore would also finish the game just a double shy of the cycle.
 
Though offense dominated the game, Brett Vansant and Matthew Williams both performed very well on the mound. Vansant went 5.0 innings in his start, striking out four and only surrendering three hits on 86 pitches while earning the win. Vansant improves to 4-4 on the season while collecting his 13th career win. Williams picked up the first save of his career, going 4.0 innings, striking out one and only allowing one earned run on four hits.
 
 
Game 2: CUI 7, FPU 12
 
In Game 2, Collins hit an RBI double to left center field in the top of the first inning, scoring both Donovan and Lautz to give the Green & Gold a quick 2-0 lead. However, FPU came out swinging, scoring nine runs over the next three innings.
 
In the top of the fifth, Gonzalez hit yet another RBI single to left field, his third of the day, scoring Bonn to cut the deficit to 9-3.
 
The Sunbirds would tack on three more runs in the bottom of the frame, extending their lead to 12-3.
 
CUI made some noise late in the game, scoring three runs in the sixth inning on a sac fly and 2-run home run off the bat of Pellegrino, his second of the season. Dudoit then hit a sac fly in the top of the seventh to close the gap to 12-7. However, the Eagles would be unable to complete the comeback as that score would turn into the final.
 
Four pitchers toed the rubber for CUI in Game 2, none going more than 2.2 innings. Both Nathaniel Tapia and Grant Stuart put up scoreless frames while each surrendering just one hit.
 

All-Time Record Tracker
 
Hits

251         Haloa Dudoit
249         Kyle Konicek
247         Gregg Davidson
235         Derek Patterson
222         Daniel Robertson
208         Ben Kindreich
205         Bailey Collins
 
Home Runs

35           Bailey Collins
35           Derek Patterson
32           Matt Ross
24           Cooper Moore
23           Charles Chatman
18           Jair Donovan
17           Chad Smith
17           Matt Broesamle
17           Jim Mittleberger


Concordia is set to play its last regular season games on Saturday, May 15 at Eagles Field against the Sunbirds. We will also be honoring all our seniors on Saturday before game one of the doubleheader for Senior Day.

The Eagles have now won eight of their last 10 and are making their case to make the NCAA DII West Regional for the first time in school history.  Nationally-ranked programs such as Azusa Pacific and Northwest Nazarene are expected to be two of the three teams from the West to earn berths (Either through the automatic qualifier or via an at-large bid). CUI has bolstered its chances these past three weeks and is competing with No. 24 Western Oregon mainly for that third spot in the regional bracket.

CLICK HERE for the full 2021 CUI baseball schedule.

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