Cougars Sweep Up Cal Baptist

AZUSA,  Calif. –  For a team that lost its first 7 conference games, Azusa Pacific appears to be back on the right path toward climbing out of a deep hole and earning a postseason berth.

The Cougars posted their second straight GSAC sweep, taking 2 from Cal Baptist today by scores of 3-2 and 4-1.  With the sweep, the Cougars have now won 4 straight and 6 of their past 7.

Jennie Waleszonia's sacrifice fly scored Jamie Norman in the bottom of the seventh to lift Azusa Pacific to a 3-2 victory in the opening game.  Norman led off the inning with a single to left and advanced to third base when Lorna Lyttle's sacrifice bunt was mishandled by Lancer second baseman Lori Mapes, allowing Norman to scoot over to third base and setting up Waleszonia's heroics.

Freshman Nicole Hendrix picked her seventh win in 10 decisions this season by scattering 7 Lancer hits while pitching out of 2 jams.  She got a little help from the Lancers in the fourth inning.   Angella Funk led off the inning with a double but was erased on the next pitch when she tried to advance behind a grounder to third that Cougar Trisha Rico fielded and then flipped behind her to a covering Waleszonia who tagged out a slidding Funk.

Cal Baptist knotted the game at 2-2 in the sixth inning when Nicky Paglialonga's 2-out single to center scored Lisa Schiro.

Cassie Lakey was 3-for-4 for Azusa Pacific with an RBI single that scored Rico to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead in the second inning.  Rico was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.

In the nightcap, Waleszonia picked up where she left off in the first game, lining a triple to deep right center to score Norman and Lyttle and give the Cougars a quick 2-0 lead in the first inning.  In the third inning, the Cougars doubled their lead when Norman squeezed home Lakey followed by a Lyttle single to center that plated Jen Robison.

The rest was up to freshman pitcher Megan Alkire, who answered the challenge by limiting the Lancers to just 7 hits while giving up 1 unearned run in the sixth inning.  Alkire retired 14 of the first 17 Lancers she faced, including 8 straight at point, to improve to 6-6 on the season.

Lancer ace Jamie Beaty suffered the loss in both games and fell to 18-11 on the campaign.

For the 2 games, Waleszonia was 3-for-5 with 3 RBIs and a run scored.  Lyttle was also 3-for-5 with an RBI.  Norman went 3-for-6 at the plate with 2 runs and an RBI.  Rico, who entered the doubleheader mired in a 2-for-39 slump, went 3-for-6 for the day with an RBI and a run.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Jennie Waleszonia: 2B; 5' 4"; Junior; L/R

#7 Lorna Lyttle: OF; 5' 9"; Senior; R/R

#10 Trisha Rico: 3B; 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#20 Megan Alkire: P/INF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#23 Cassie Lakey: UTL; 5' 4"; Junior; L/R

#24 Nicole Hendrix: P; 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#3 Jennie Waleszonia
: 5' 4"; Junior; L/R
: 2B

#7 Lorna Lyttle
: 5' 9"; Senior; R/R
: OF

#10 Trisha Rico
: 5' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: 3B

#20 Megan Alkire
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: P/INF

#23 Cassie Lakey
: 5' 4"; Junior; L/R
: UTL

#24 Nicole Hendrix
: 6' 0"; Freshman; R/R
: P