Cougars Sweep No. 8 SCC

WEST COVINA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific used a surprising sweep of the NAIA's No. 8-ranked Southern California College to keep from being eliminated from the Golden State Athletic Conference race and in the process put itself right back in the hunt for the GSAC crown.

The Cougars, who are themselves are ranked No. 19, knocked off SCC, 8-4 and 5-1, on Jonathan DeYoung Field in West Covina, Tuesday afternoon to move to within a game of front running SCC with 4 GSAC games left in the regular season.

In the first game, Azusa Pacific rallied from a 4-2 deficit with a 3-run third inning. All-GSAC catcher Natalie Kirkbride singled home Kelly Hibma and Jennifer Hendry to tie the score at 4-4. Two batters later Yvonne Ale brought home Kirkbride with a single to center to put the Cougars up for good at 5-4. Azusa Pacific added 3 insurance runs in the sixth inning, the big blow being Hibma's 2-run double to deep center to put the Cougars up 7-4.

Sophomore Keery Martin, the 1997 GSAC piture of the year, survived a difficult 4-run third inning by retiring 14 of the final 17 batters she faced.

In the nightcap, Azusa Pacific parlayed a pair of SCC errors into 4 unearned runs. Jennifer Mahan's 2-out double scored Ale and Heather Jacobson to break a 1-1 tie and put the Cougars up 3-1 in the fourth inning. Mahan then touched home on Hibma's single.

Martin came on in relief and gave up just 3 singles in 4 innings of work to pick up her GSAC-leading 20th win of the season against 8 losses.

Kirkbride was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs in the first game. Hibma aided with a 3-for-3 performance with 3runs scored and a pair of RBIs. In the second game, Mahan was 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Ale was 2-for-3 with 3 runs scored.

With the victory, The Cougars improved to 33-17 overall but more importantly 8-4 in the GSAC, just a game behind front-running SCC, which falls to 39-9 overall, 9–3 in the GSAC. SCC entered the game having won 15 of its past 16 games, but had its 8-game winning streak snapped.

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Players Mentioned

#5 Kelly Hibma: SS; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#7 Jennifer Mahan: OF; 5' 1"; Senior; B/L

#23 Yvonne Ale: 3B; 5' 6"; Junior; R/R

#28 Natalie Kirkbride: C; 5' 6"; Senior; R/R

#31 Jennifer Hendry: SS; 5' 7"; Senior; R/R

#33 Heather Jacobson: OF; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

Players Mentioned

#5 Kelly Hibma
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: SS

#7 Jennifer Mahan
: 5' 1"; Senior; B/L
: OF

#23 Yvonne Ale
: 5' 6"; Junior; R/R
: 3B

#28 Natalie Kirkbride
: 5' 6"; Senior; R/R
: C

#31 Jennifer Hendry
: 5' 7"; Senior; R/R
: SS

#33 Heather Jacobson
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: OF