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Azusa Pacific University Athletics

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5
Azusa Pacific APU 28-16
6
Winner The Master's TMC 26-20
Azusa Pacific APU
28-16
5
Final
6
The Master's TMC
26-20
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Azusa Pacific APU 0 0 0 1 4 0 0 0 0 5 9 1
The Master's TMC 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 1 X 6 8 3

W: Brad Hackworth (9-4) L: Barnes, George (6-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Master's Sends Cougars Into Loser's Bracket

AZUSA, Calif. –  After just 1 run separated The Master's and Azusa Pacific in 3 of their 4 regular-season meetings, the No. 4 seed Mustangs sent the top seed and GSAC regular-season champion Cougars into an elimination game with No. 2 seed Point Loma Nazarene with a 6-5 victory in Game 2 of the NAIA Region II Playoffs Tuesday afternoon in Azusa.
 
Meanwhile, The Master's will face No. 3 seed Vanguard, which knocked off No. 2 seed Point Loma Nazarene, 8-2, in the first game of the day.
 
All-Region II pitcher Brad Hackworth improved to 9-4 on the season with the complete game, the eighth time he has gone the distance for The Master's this season. Hackworth surrendered 4 runs in the top of the fifth, but his offense rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the inning and posted single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to complete the come-from-behind victory.
 
The Master's got on the board first when center fielder Jerry Owens scored on All-Region II left fielder Brandon Tisher's third-inning sacrifice fly, but All-Region II second baseman Eric Ordorica tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the fourth with a solo shot down the left-field line. Ordorica's fifth-inning sacrifice fly to center gave the Cougars a 2-1 lead, and 3 consecutive RBI singles followed to push the lead to 5-1.
 
The Mustangs were quick to chip away at the deficit, as designated hitter Brett Jaime led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run. His leadoff shot over the right-field fence sparked a 3-run inning that cut the Cougar lead to 5-4.
 
Owens came through with his second home run of the season, tying the game at 5-5 with a 1-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth inning, right fielder Josh Miranda hit a 1-out triple to the center field wall, and first baseman Kevin James slapped a base hit into left center to bring pinch runner Jessie Matlock home with the go-ahead run. Hackworth retired all 3 Cougar batters in the ninth, finishing the game by retiring Ordorica to seal the victory.
 
Ordorica finished with a pair of hits as did Mike Soto and Robbie Lindsey.  Senior Matt Canada started on the hill and lasted 6.1 innings, allowing just 3 earned runs and striking out 4.  George Barnes suffered just his second defeat of his 2-year Azusa Pacific career.
 
With the loss, the Cougars fall to 28-16 overall and are now in 1-and-done mode.  The Master's improves to 26-20.
 
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