FULLERTON – Hope International's baseball team ran its winning streak to six straight with Saturday's 7-5 and 1-0 victories over Benedictine Mesa at Amerige Park.

All nine Royals position players recorded at least one hit in the game one victory, notching a 15-hit attack in support of HIU starting pitcher Tyler Tilton.

Game two was another low-scoring battle similar to Friday's nightcap between two solid starters – HIU's Jake Thrift and BENU's Ryan Parent. Thrift outlasted Parent with a complete game four-hitter in the 1-0 shutout.

Colby Moran went 5-for-8 at the plate for the Royals and Hunter Essang had a 4-for-7 performance across the doubleheader.

Game 1 – Hope International 7, Benedictine Mesa 5
Tilton struggled with his command in the first inning as he issued three walks, the free pass to Tyler Jackson coming with the bases loaded and scoring Anthony Setticasi for the 1-0 lead.

The Royals loaded the bases in the bottom half as Essang's base hit plated Isaiah Lane to tie the score at 1-1.

HIU took a 2-1 lead as Eric Valdivia and Moran notched back-to-back doubles in the third.

Tilton settled into a groove as he retired the Redhawks in order in the second and fourth innings. In the fifth, he allowed a one-out single but struck out the next two BENU hitters looking – two of his career-high eight strikeouts on the afternoon.

HIU touched BENU starter Cody Campbell for 11 hits in his five innings of work. In the fifth, the Royals tacked on a pair of runs as three straight singles loaded the bases. Royce Clayton had an RBI groundout to score Moran, and an infield hit by Ethan Bigani brought in Eddie Cotto.

The Redhawks cut their deficit to 4-2 in the sixth as Tyson Treadgill and Cooper Jeffries both doubled in the inning.

The Royals took advantage of a BENU error in the sixth after Lane and Moran got aboard via a hit by pitch and single, respectively. Reliever Eric Godinez attempted to pick off Lane lurking off second, but his throw bounced into the outfield as both runners advanced a base.

Lane scored on Cotto's fielder's choice and Essang's RBI single plated Cotto as HIU led 6-2.

Luke Wallin tossed two clean innings in relief for the Royals. HIU added an insurance run in the seventh as Moran collected an RBI single.

The Redhawks scored three runs in the ninth, which included a two-run home run from Jack Moore. James Williams got the final two outs, including a strikeout of Jackson to earn his second save.

Tilton improved to 2-1 after going 6.0 innings and allowing six hits and two runs.

Game 2 – Hope International 1, Benedictine Mesa 0
The Royals scored the only run of the game in the second as Essang doubled home Moran, who led off the inning with a two-bagger of his own.

Thrift was outstanding, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced. The Redhawks got a pair of runners aboard in the fourth, but Thrift evaded trouble by setting down the next two hitters.

The southpaw retired nine straight hitters, which included sitting down the side in the fifth and sixth innings.

Thrift entered the seventh closing in on 100 pitches. He put Jackson on base with a one-out hit by pitch, but got Treadgill to whiff on a 2-2 pitch for the second out. 

Javier Rochin beat out an infield single on the next play, but Jackson made too wide a turn at second. Moran made a heads up throw to second where Cotto applied the tag on Jackson, who dived to get back to the bag. HIU got the call on the close play to end the game.

Thrift scattered four hits and did not walk a batter while striking out a career-high six.

Parent was effective as well, going 5.2 innings and allowing just three hits. He walked two and struck out five.

HIU travels to CSU San Bernardino on Tuesday for a single game that begins at 6:00 p.m.