Stockton, Calif. – The Pacific Tigers hosted their first home doubleheader today, winning game one 7-3 to earn their first victory of the season.  The win put the Tigers record at 1-5 heading into game two of the doubleheader. 

Making the start in game one for the Tigers was freshman Ricky Reynoso.  The freshman gave up one run in the first but kept Northwestern off the board for the next four innings.  A single in the fifth by Northwestern was the first baserunner Reynoso allowed after retiring nine straight.  The lefthander left the game in the sixth en route to collegiate win number one, replaced by Justin Giovannoni. 

Reynoso faced off against Northwestern's Josh Davis.  The Wildcat righty went five innings, giving up five earned runs in that time and taking his second loss of the year.

The Wildcats struck early to take the first lead of the game with a solo homerun in the first inning.  Joe Hoscheit put the ball over the leftfield wall to make 1-0.  Reynoso regained his composure and, after a single and a walk, recorded a swinging strikeout to retire the side with minimal damage.

Pacific put together an early rally of their own to match Northwestern's first-inning run.  Danny Mayer walked to start it off, with Gio Brusa's roped line drive to leftfield moving Mayer to third.  A deep sacrifice fly by Nate Verlin plated Pacific's first run of the game.  It was the first run the Tigers had scored in the first inning this season.

Mayer scored the second run of the day with a moonshot that landed well over the leftfield wall in the third.  It was Mayer's second homer and fourth extra-base hit of the year, both leading the Tigers.

Brusa followed up Mayer's homer with a double that rushed into the rightfield corner, allowing the senior to coast into second.  A few batters later, J.J. Wagner got around on a pitch and knocked it high off the leftfield foul pole to make it 5-3.  The three-run homerun was Wagner's first of the year after hitting one last season.  The four-run inning was Pacific's biggest output of the year and also gave the team their first multi-homer game of the year.

Northwestern plated two runs in the sixth inning.  The Wildcats loaded the bases against Reynoso, thanks to an error and two singles.  A sac fly and RBI single followed before Giovannoni came in to pitch and denied Northwestern any chance to cut into Pacific's lead further.

Jimmy Boras tripled to lead off the bottom of the sixth.  Kevin Sandri's single through the hole at shortstop pushed Pacific's lead back up to three runs.  Brusa drove in another run with his third hit of the game, pushing Mayer home to expand the lead to 7-3.  It was Mayer's third run of the game as well. 

Jordon Gonzalez struck out the first two batters he faced in the eighth inning after relieving Giovannoni.  The righty finished the game out by blanking Northwestern over his two innings of work. 

Pacific's series against the Northwestern Wildcats will wrap up tomorrow at 11:00 am.  Tickets for that game, Pacific's first Sunday Funday of the year, are available online.

Make sure to follow Pacific baseball on Twitter with the username @PacificBaseball and on Instagram at pacificbaseball.