IRVINE, Calif. – The Concordia University Irvine baseball team swept both games of Saturday's Senior Day doubleheader with Fresno Pacific, finishing the regular season with a 21-15 record. Their .583 overall win percentage is the best in school history among full seasons played in the NCAA D2 era (2016-present).
Before game one, 19 seniors were honored that have helped transform this program over the last five seasons. Those seniors include: #3
Matt Lautz, #5
Bailey Collins, #6
Haloa Dudoit, #7
Cooper Moore, #9
Chris Martin II, #10
Ryan Johnston, #12
Brett Vansant, #13
Juan Zuniga, #14
Chase Lyford, #16
Mike Killeen, #18
Cole Spear, #20 Connor Bock, #22
Jeff Pellegrino, #25
Kyle Fujisaki, #27
Jair Donovan, #34
Carpenter Pagett, #35
Alex Zalasky, #41
Dillon Brown, and #44
Tony Garcia III.
Game 1: CUI 15, FPU 2
Every single player that took the field on Saturday was a senior, that being all nine CUI starters for both games as well as the five pitchers that came in relief. In the bottom of the first inning of game one, catcher
Tony Garcia III got the party started with a bases-clearing double to left centerfield scoring Pellegrino, Collins, and Moore.
In the bottom of the second, Lautz homered to left field on the first pitch of his at-bat, scoring Dudoit and giving CUI a 6-0 lead. After a
Jair Donovan single,
Cooper Moore then proceeded to triple to right center to score Donovan. Moore later scored on a passed ball for CUI's eighth run in just two innings. In the bottom of the third, Dudoit singled up the middle to score Martin II and extend the lead to 9-0.
After a scoreless fourth, Fujisaki led off the fifth with a ball hit deep to right field that fell just a few feet shy of a home run. The right fielder struggled to recover it, prompting Fujisaki to continue running and attempt to score an in-the-park home run. However, he was nabbed on a good FPU relay for the first out of the inning.
With two outs in the inning, Dudoit stepped up to the plate already a perfect 3-for-3 on the day. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Dudoit roped a ball deep to right field that cleared the fence for his first career home run! Dudoit would finish the game a career-best 5-for-6, becoming the 11th player in CUI history to collect five hits in a single game.
Fresno Pacific was able to score one run in the sixth, their only run off starting pitcher
Evan Larsen. In his 6.0 innings of work, Larsen struck out five batters while only surrendering four hits on 69 pitches. He finishes the regular season 5-0 and leading the CUI pitching staff in strikeouts by a wide margin with 59, the next closest being senior
Brett Vansant with 35.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Jair Donovan smoked a ball to right field for a no-doubt three-run homer, which was No. 19 for him in his career and fourth of the season.
The Green & Gold bullpen closed it down, with
Mike Killeen,
Ryan Johnston, and
Alex Zalasky each throwing one inning to seal the victory. The trio gave up zero earned runs on just two hits while striking out four.
Game 2: CUI 5, FPU 4
Haloa Dudoit led off the bottom of the first with a double to left center, his third double of the day.
Matt Lautz followed that with a triple down the right field line, giving the Eagles yet another early lead.
In the bottom of the second inning with one out,
Conner Bock collected his first hit as an Eagle with a solo home run to left center field. This gave CUI a 2-0 lead.
Fresno Pacific put up a fight in Game 2, scoring three runs in the third inning and taking a 3-2 lead. However, CUI would respond in the bottom frame with an RBI single off the bat of
Jair Donovan to tie the game. Then in the bottom of the fourth,
Conner Bock hit a one out double to right center field. A failed pickoff attempt by the Sunbird pitcher would prove costly, as Bock would score all the way from second base on the bad throw as well as an error by the center fielder.
Fresno Pacific would then tie the game yet again in the top of the sixth with an RBI groundout. In the bottom of the inning, the CUI all-time walks leader,
Bailey Collins, added to his career total with a leadoff walk. A wild pitch and passed ball would allow Collins to advance all the way to third, followed by a sac fly off the bat of
Juan Zuniga to give the Eagles their final lead of the game.
Senior
Cole Spear turned in an quality start for the Green & Gold on the mound, going 5.0 innings, surrendering five hits and one earned run with one strikeout.
Chase Lyford and
Carpenter Pagett came in to pitch in relief for the Eagles, only allowing one earned run. In the process, Pagett picked up his second win of the season and fourth of his career.
Looking Ahead
The Eagles finished the regular season with a record of 21-15, placing second in the PacWest Southern Pod as well as second in the PacWest in overall win percentage. CUI bolstered its chances for a NCAA DII West Regional at-large bid over the last three weeks by going 10-3 down the stretch.
A word to the seniors from the CUI Baseball Coaching Staff:
"To the 19 seniors that are playing in their last collegiate game here at home, we say thank you and we love you. Thank you for many reasons- but most of all - for being great Eagles during your time here at CUI. This institution and Baseball program have been truly blessed to have you as a part of our lives. You have represented your name, your Family, this institution and Baseball program on and off the field at a very high level. As each of you will have graduated and are going to enter the next phase of your life, we look forward to continuing our support and standing by each of you during your chosen endeavors. Whatever you choose to do, please remember to be the very best you can be every moment that this great life gives you. We thank you again for this journey we have been on together." – CUI Baseball Coaching Staff
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