WEST COVINA, CALIF. -- Azusa Pacific exploded for an 8-run outburst in the fifth inning of the first game to propel itself to a sweep of CS Hayward, 8-3 and 5-0, in a nonconference softball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Jonathan De Young Field in West Covina.
Six of the 8 runs in the aforementioned fifth inning came on 2 Cougar 3-run home runs by Jennifer Stark and Yvonne Ale. Stark connected with one out in the inning, while Ale hit hers after a single by Lorna Lyttle and a Pioneer error.
The Pioneers scattered 9 hits but only mustered 3 runs, including 2 in the third inning as Jennifer Samaripa doubled in Brenda Gaskin. Azusa Pacific's Jodi Miller came on in relief of winner Gina Gepford in the sixth inning and mowed down CS Hayward, collecting 3 strikeouts in the 2 innings.
In the second game of the twinbill, the Cougars scored single runs in the first, fourth and fifth and 2 runs in the third inning, on 9 total hits. CS Hayward managed just 4 hits as Miller picked up the win.
In game 2, Heather Jacobson, Alisa Arrigoni, Stark, and Jenna Sampson each collected 2 hits, while for the Pioneers, Jessina Stedman had 2 singles.
With the sweep, Azusa Pacific improves to 8-8 on the year, while CS Hayward falls to 4-5.
