AZUSA, Calif. -- The ability to field and throw is one of the key fundamentals of baseball, and it was Azusa Pacific's inability to field and throw that came back to bite the Cougars in Tuesday night's GSAC finale.
The Cougars committed a season-high 7 errors, and the NAIA's No. 25-ranked The Master's took advantage of every Cougar miscue in a 16-4 rout. The win gives the Mustangs a 1-game lead with 2 to go in the race for the 2003 GSAC crown. They will face second-place Biola twice Wednesday, needing just 1 win to clinch their first-ever GSAC title in any sport and the right to host next week's NAIA Region II Playoffs.
Four of the Mustangs' first 6 runs were unearned as the Cougars committed 5 errors in the first 4 innings, and with the game tied 2-2 in the third; the Mustangs took control with 4 runs. They added 2 more in the fourth to take an 8-2 lead, before the Cougars cut the deficit in half on a 2-run home run by Robbie Lindsey, who finished 4-for-4, in the fifth.
However, in the sixth, the Mustangs put the game away scoring 6 straight runs with one out, aided by 2 doubles, 2 walks, a single and capped by a grand slam by Joel Ralston to take a 14-4 lead and put the game away.
All 4 Cougar hurlers surrendered at least 1 run, and the staff that had not allowed a single home run in their past 4 GSAC contests (all wins), gave up 3 Mustang bombs, including the grand slam.
Out of the gate, the Mustangs attacked, playing like a team with a mission as they chase after their first conference crown. Leadoff hitter Jerry Owens, the GSAC's leading hitter with a .450 average coming in, was 5-for-5, reaching base in all 6 plate appearances, with 5 runs, 2 stolen bases, a double, a home run, a walk and an RBI. He led off the game with a single to right, advanced to second on the Cougars' first error, a failed pickoff attempt, and later scored (unearned) on a balk by Cougar starter Derek Wholers—a sign of things to come.
It appeared as if the Cougars were ready to battle as they answered with a pair of runs in their first at-bat. Nick Mercado singled to center and advanced to second on a sacrifice by Alex Valadez. Robert Guiles walked, and after Matt Dzama struck out, Lindsey hit the first of his four hits, an RBI single to center that scored Mercado. Two batters later, Shaun Beutner drove in Guiles with a single, and the Cougars led 2-1.
With one out in the top of the second, Ralston singled and advanced to second on another failed pickoff attempt. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and later scored on a balk to tie the score 2-2, the last time the game would be tied.
Wholers suffered the loss to fall to 2-2. He lasted 3 innings, allowing 6 hits, 6 runs (3 earned), a walk and 3 strikeouts. Three Cougar relievers then combined to allow 10 hits and 10 runs over the final 6 innings. A staff that has been very effective over the past 3 weeks was roughed up, although the Mustangs have had the Cougars' number all year long, outscoring the Cougars, 54-34, in 4 games this year to take the season series 3-1.
The Cougars close out the regular season Wednesday night with a non-conference tilt at La Verne at 5 p.m. They will then prepare for next week's NAIA Region II Playoffs, which will be Tuesday (May 6)-Friday (May 9) at either The Master's or Biola, whoever wins the GSAC title. Azusa Pacific is the third seed and will play in the 11 a.m. game against the second seed.
With the loss, Azusa Pacific drops to 26-21 overall, 17-11 GSAC. The Master's improves to 27-14, 19-7.
