FULLERTON – Hope International baseball earned a split of a doubleheader against Park Gilbert on Senior Day, falling 4-3 in game one before rebounding with an 8-2 victory in game two.

The Royals finished the 2026 home schedule 21-1.

HIU celebrated Senior Day for 11 players – Ivan Barragan, Royce Clayton, Spencer Davis, Nathan Estrada, Josh Landry, Colby Moran, Matthew Pinal, David Shackelford, Nathaniel Slaman, Ryan Sveningson and Tyler Tilton.

The Royals hit three solo home runs in game one, but it wasn't enough to get Landry his 10th win as the Buccaneers legged out the one-run victory. Moran and Eric Valdivia homered for the second time in the doubleheader to help HIU to a comfortable win in game two, helping Jake Thrift secure his sixth win and lower his ERA to 1.49, which ranks second nationally in the NAIA.

Game 1 – Park Gilbert 4, Hope International 3
Landry struck out 10 batters – the sixth time he has compiled double-digit whiffs in a game this season and the 10th in his career – but the Buccaneers handed him just his third loss with single runs in the first and third, and two more in the eighth.

Park Gilbert plated an unearned run in the first as Evan Vander Valk first on an error by the HIU third baseman, allowing Eric Rojo to score from second.

Rojo was involved again in the third, getting aboard via a leadoff single and moving to second on a sacrifice. He came home on another Vander Valk base hit for a 2-0 Park Gilbert lead.

Ky Ward pitched 3.0 innings of scoreless 2-hit ball with five strikeouts before being replaced by Aidan Guthrey. Valdivia homered to right center with one out in the fourth to whittle the deficit to 2-1.

Landry retired nine of 10 hitters from the fifth through the seventh, but gave up an eighth inning two-run home run to Vander Valk, who finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBI.

The Royals were unable to piece together a big inning, getting solo homers from Moran and Davis in the eighth and ninth, respectively.

Lincoln Butt walked Shackelford and Isaiah Lane to put the tying and winning runs on base in the ninth, but he got a fly out to end the game for the save.

Game 2 – Hope International 8, Park Gilbert 2
Thrift was outstanding in throwing 5.0 shutout innings, yielding just one hit and striking out five. He improved to 6-1 on the year.

The Royals raced out to a 7-0 lead after three innings.

Valdivia, who moved up to the third spot in the order, rewarded the move with a solo blast in the first – his sixth home run of the season.

After Eddie Cotto and Nathan Estrada singled in the second, Clayton notched a two-run double to put the Royals up 3-0. Shackelford followed with a base knock to score Clayton as HIU increased its lead to 4-0.

The Royals chased Park Gilbert starter Hayden King in the third with three more runs. Valdivia singled to lead off the inning, and Moran hit a towering two-run shot to right field for the 6-0 advantage. Cotto got aboard via a hit by pitch, and later came around on a wild pitch.

Thrift had retired sixth straight before allowing his only hit, a one-out single to Deahntreh Baptiste in the third. He got the Buccaneers to ground into two double plays, and left the game with the 7-0 lead after retiring the visitors in order in the fifth.

HIU tacked on one more run in the fifth as Moran walked, stole second and later scored on a wild pitch.

Park Gilbert scored a pair of runs in the sixth as HIU went to its bullpen. Jayson Thomas threw 1.1 scoreless innings and Slaman got Jaden Hunter to fly out for the last out of the game in his first action of the season.

HIU is now 34-13 overall and 22-6 in the GSAC. The GSAC regular season champions are the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GSAC Tournament, which begins Monday, April 27 at the OC Great Park.