SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – In the opening round of the PacWest baseball tournament CUI opened postseason play against Fresno Pacific falling 3-0 in a tightly played contest that stayed within reach for much of the afternoon. The Golden Eagles remained in the mix throughout supported by strong pitching, steady defensive execution, and late offensive opportunities that kept pressure on the Sunbirds into the final innings.
The game opened as a pitchers' duel with both teams setting the tone early through strong defensive play and effective pitching. Concordia starter
Matthew Kaiser was sharp from the outset helping retire the first nine Fresno Pacific hitters while collecting strikeouts and keeping the Sunbirds off balance through the opening innings. Through three innings neither team managed a hit and momentum remained evenly matched.
The Sunbirds broke through in the fourth inning taking a 1-0 lead. Despite the run the Golden Eagles limited further damage and worked out of a difficult inning with composure.
The Green and Gold continued to battle offensively and nearly generated momentum in the sixth inning.
Nolan Caira drew a leadoff walk before
Sawyer Voortman dropped down a successful bunt single to put two runners aboard with no outs.
PacWest Freshman of the Year Ian Stewart followed with a sacrifice bunt that advanced both runners into scoring position but the Sunbirds escaped the threat.
Kaiser and CUI defense continued to keep the game within reach. In the seventh inning
Dylan Knowles worked a patient walk and
Makamae Du Pont reached after being hit by a pitch, again giving the Golden Eagles an opportunity late in the contest.
Fresno Pacific added another run in the sixth on a solo home run and extended the lead to 3-0 in the ninth with a sacrifice fly. Concordia made one final push in the bottom of the ninth.
Isaiah Walz and
Wyatt Madison opened the inning with back-to-back singles to bring the tying run to the plate and energize the Golden Eagles dugout. Fresno Pacific however recorded the final three outs to close out the game.
Kaiser delivered a strong complete-game performance on the mound for the CUI keeping the Golden Eagles within reach throughout the contest. The junior worked all nine innings allowing just three runs on nine hits while striking out a season-high 10 batters and walking only one.
VIDEO - CLICK HERE for postgame interviews with CUI's Walz, Kaiser, Caira & Coach Turgeon
The Golden Eagles will be back on the field Thursday Mar. 7 as they take on host team Westmont with a 9 a.m. start time.
CLICK HERE to see the PacWest Conference tournament central page.
CLICK HERE to see the full CUI baseball schedule.
