AZUSA, Calif. -- Senior
Justin Duarte and junior
Chris Ewing each hit 2-run home runs as Azusa Pacific snapped a 2-game losing streak by defeating defending GSAC champion Cal Baptist, 10-2, Thursday evening in Azusa.
Senior starting pitcher
Bobby Cowan pitched 6 strong inning, yielding just 2 runs and striking out 5 to improve his record to 2-0 on the season. Relievers
Chad Arko and
Fritz Maskrey pitched the final 3 innings to nail down the victory.
The Cougars wasted no time offensively by getting on the scored in the first inning. After an RBI single by designated hitter
John Knott, Ewing hit the next pitch over the right field fence to put the Cougars up 2-0.
Cal Baptist closed the gap to 3-2 in the third inning when Mark Paschal hit a 2-run home run of his own. However, Azusa Pacific scored in 3 of the next 4 innings to put the game out of reach. Ewing, Duarte, and
Bobby Sanchez all had RBI singles to extend the lead to 6-2 after the fourth inning. Duarte capped off the scoring by hitting his team-leading fourth home run off reliever Ryan Bourgeois with one out in the eighth.
Sanchez went 3-for-4 with 3 singles and an RBI to lead the Cougars. Ewing and Duarte each had 2 hits and 3 RBIs. John Holmes was 2-for-3 for the Lancers, while Robert Muro, the 1997 GSAC Player of the Year, was held hitless in 5 trips to the plate, two of those, however, being intentional walks.
With the win Azusa Pacific improves to 6-2 overall and moves into a 3-way tie for first place in the GSAC at 4-1. Cal Baptist falls to 4-12 overall and 1-4 in GSAC play.
Line Score
Cal Baptist 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 -- 2 6 2
Azusa Pacific 3 0 1 2 0 2 0 2 x -- 10 13 1
Arnold Cruz (L), Mark Cadena (4), Ryan Bourgeois (6) and Juan Quintanar
Bob Cowan (W, 2-0), Chad Arko (7), Fritz Maskrey (9) and Carlos de la Trinidad, Justin Duarte (4)
2B - Gabe Miranda (AP), John Knott (AP), Tim Leveno (CB)
3B - Johyn Holmes (CB)
HR - Mark Paschal (CB, 3rd inning, 1 on), Chris Ewing (AP) 1st inning, 1 on), Duarte (8th innning , 1 on)
