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10
The Master's TMC 18-17, 9-10 GSAC
11
Winner Azusa Pacific APU 20-11, 13-4 GSAC
The Master's TMC
18-17, 9-10 GSAC
10
Final
11
Azusa Pacific APU
20-11, 13-4 GSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
The Master's TMC 4 0 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 10 16 1
Azusa Pacific APU 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 2 4 11 18 5

W: Litchfield, B.J. (2-2) L: Tyler Dersom (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Cougars Rally From 10 Down for Victory

AZUSA, Calif. – In its past 3 meetings this year, Azusa Pacific and The Master's have combined for more than 70 runs so everyone at the ballpark tonight knew that there was a good chance that runs would not be a scarcity.  The problem for the Cougars though was that the first 10 runs tonight all belonged to the Mustangs.
 
However, the NAIA's No. 15-ranked Cougars, faced with a 10-0 deficit at 4 ½ innings, chipped away were trailing 10-7 in their final at-bat when they erupted for 4 runs in the bottom of the ninth to complete a miraculous comeback and steal an 11-10 GSAC victory from The Master's.
 
Steven Hubbell and Nick Mercado hit back-to-back 1-out doubles to tie the game at 10-10.  Shaun Buetner was then walked intentionally to set up a force play, and Seth Johnson followed with a strikeout for the second out.  A passed ball moved up Victor Ambruso, who came on to pinch run for Mercado, and Buetner, which then forced another intentional walk to Eric Ordorica to load the bases. The next pitch then hit Rocky Binkowski in the shoulder forcing home Ambruso with the winning run.
 
"The first 5 innings were just disrespectful and embarrassing to the game," said Azusa Pacific head Tony Barbone. "However, I'm not surprised we came back, because we have that capability.  Steve (Hubbell) is a scrappy, hard-working player.  He loves to play the game probably more than anyone else on this team.  Good things happen to those that work hard."
 
The Cougars were their own worst enemy in the first five frames, committing a season-high 5 errors, which led to 4 unearned runs.  George Barnes made his second start of the season and lasted 3 innings, allowing 8 hits and 5 runs, but just one of those was earned.  Kelly Strickland came on and allowed a grand slam to the Mustang's Tyler Dersom in the fourth inning, and Brad McKinney worked the fifth and sixth allowing just one run, but before the Cougars knew what hit them they were down 10-0.
 
That's when the dust began to settle as did the Cougars, who went to work with the bats as well as on the mound.  Andy Alstot worked 1.1 innings shutting down TMC, allowing just 1 hit, and B.J. Litchfield worked the final 1.2 innings to pick up the win in relief.
 
A 2-out Mustang error in the fifth opened the door for 4 unearned Cougar runs.  The next inning, the Cougars cut the lead in half off of Hubbell's first double of the game.  The Cougars added 2 more in the eighth to cut the lead down to 10-7 and had the bases loaded with just 1 out, but could not muster any more.
 
Hubbell finished the day 4-for-5 with 2 runs, 2 doubles and 4 RBIs.  Beutner was 4-for-5, and Mercado finished 3-for-4 with 3 RBIs off the bench.
 
Azusa Pacific now takes a 2-game GSAC lead with 10 games to go.  The Cougars are now 13-4 conference play, 20-11 overall and will host last-place Westmont (5-26, 3-16) Saturday with a prime opportunity to widen the gap. The Master's drops to 18-17, 9-10.
 
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