RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- If any of them would have listened to the whispers in their head, then Azusa Pacific would have played its last softball games of the season today in Riverside. Instead, today's victories over Cal Baptist are a prelude of more games ahead for Azusa Pacific, games to be played in the playoffs.
As recently as 3 weeks ago, Azusa Pacific had played itself into a position of "no margin for error" softball, and considering the schedule ahead, no one in their right mind could have envisioned the Cougars making the postseason for an eighth straight season. However, the players refused to yield to common expectations and in turn have reeled off a season-best 9-game winning streak, enough of a push at the end to make the playoffs by a mere game.
The NAIA's No. 16-ranked Cougars swept the regular-season finale GSAC doubleheader today at Cal Baptist, downing the Lancers 2-1 and 8-4. Combined with Vanguard's split at Concordia, the Cougars move past Vanguard and into fourth place in the GSAC for the fourth-and-final berth into the upcoming NAIA regional playoffs. Azusa Pacific never trailed throughout the 14 innings of play today, but that doesn't mean they were in control of either contest.
In the opening game, Azusa Pacific scored unearned runs on nearly identical plays in each of the first 2 innings, then protected the 2-1 lead the rest of the way. Junior right fielder Cassie Lakey led off the game with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, then stole third base. However, no Lancer infielder covered the base, and catcher Angella Funk's throw to the bag sailed into left field, allowing Lakey to score the game's first run. In the second inning, junior shortstop Jennie Waleszonia led off with a single and stole second. When Waleszonia broke for third, Funk's throw ricocheted off Rachel Alkire's helmet out of play, bringing Waleszonia in with what proved to be the game-winning run. The Lancers scored in the bottom of the first, when junior shortstop Irene Garcia stole second with junior first baseman Lisa Schiro on third. The throw to second was off the mark and dribbled into center field, bringing Schiro home to tie the game at 1-1.
The Cougars managed just 6 hits, 2 each from Lakey and All-American Lorna Lyttle. The rest was up to Cougar pitchers Nicole Hendrix and Rachel Alkire, who combined to scatter 7 Lancer hits while striking out 3. Alkire, who pitched the final 4 innings in relief picked up the win.
The nightcap was a tight affair through 5 innings. However, the Cougars broke a 4-4 tie with a pair of runs in both the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win. Senior first baseman Jennifer Robison drove in the game-winning run with a bases-loaded infield hit behind third base that scored Lakey in the top of the sixth inning. Kelli Thiedermann scored on freshman Megan Alkire's walk to give Azusa Pacific a 6-4 lead. Thiedermann gave the Cougars a pair of insurance runs in the seventh with a 2-run triple, her third 3-bagger in the past 4 games. Rachel Alkire worked another 3 innings of relief to pick up the win in the second game and run her record to 10-3, while pushing her personal win streak to 6 in a row. Thiederman led Azusa Pacific's 15-hit attack with a 3-for-3 effort that included 2 runs and a pair of RBIs. Lakey was 3-for-5 with 3 runs while Lyttle was 2-for-3 with 2 RBIs.
With the sweep, the Cougars, who have now won 17 of their past 20 games, improve to 33-17 on the season and close out GSAC play with a 17-11 mark. Their fourth-place finish in the GSAC is their worst showing ever, but considering that they were once 0-7 in GSAC play and on the brink of oblivion in recent weeks, the fact that this team made the playoffs is perhaps an achievement on par with any Cougar team that won a conference crown.
