SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- Exactly one month ago, Azusa Pacific swept 3 games from Point Loma Nazarene that sent the Crusaders in a virtual tailspin and put a serious dent in what at the time seemed like realistic GSAC title hopes.
Prior to that day, Point Loma was rolling at 23-8 overall, 11-3 in the GSAC and were ranked No. 8 in the NAIA. As a result of the doubleheader loss and a loss in a completion of a suspended game, the Crusaders lost 10 of their final 16 and needed a pair of wins in the final week of the season just to reach the postseason.
Well now they're in the postseason, and guess who has the last laugh. Point Loma pounded out 19 hits, stormed out to an 8-0 lead after 3 innings and went on to a 14-6 win over Azusa Pacific in the first elimination game of the 2003 NAIA Region II Playoffs in Santa Clarita.
The loss ends the Cougars' disappointing run in the playoffs where they were outscored 25-6 in a pair of losses to Biola and Point Loma. It is also the second straight year that Point Loma has ended Azusa Pacific's season. The Cougars, who lost their final 4 games and 7 of their last 10, finish the 2003 campaign 26-24 overall.
Much like yesterday when the Cougars were 1-hit by Biola's Ryan Klatt, Azusa Pacific struggled at the dish, generating just 5 hits. Even a pre-game bat-awakening ritual didn't serve its purpose. Although the Cougars' scored 6 runs, they had to take advantage of 6 walks, a pair of hit batsmen, a pair of balks, and an Alex Valadez 2-run shot just to get the 6 they got.
Point Loma roughed up Cougar starter Kelly Strickland for 8 hits and 6 runs (4 earned) in 2.1 innings. They scored 3 in the second by way of back-to-back singles followed by back-to-back doubles. They loaded the bases with one out in the third before Brad McKinney replaced Strickland. Jud Richards lined McKinney's first pitch back up the middle to score 2 more, Justin Roberts was then hit by a pitch, Wayne Scheler delivered an RBI single, and Mike Acuna had an RBI groundout to give the Crusaders an 8-0 lead.
All-GSAC Robbie Lindsey smacked a 2-RBI double to make it 8-2 in the fourth.
The Cougars seemed ready for an offensive breakout as they had the bases loaded and just one out, but Valadez fouled out, and Nick Mercado's grounder to second forced Shaun Beutner out at second to end the Cougars' biggest threat of the afternoon.
Scheler's solo shot in the fifth made it 9-2, but Valadez answered and gave the Cougars' life again with a 2-run blast to left-center to make it 9-4. Yet every time the Cougars poked their head out of a deep hole, the Crusaders responded to make the hole even deeper.
Two more Crusader runs made it 11-4 in the sixth when the Cougars again refused to go away with another pair scoring on back-to-back balks by Crusader reliever George Jiminez to make it 11-6 in the seventh.
However, Richards put the game away with a 3-run shot off Mike Medlock in the eighth, and this time, the Cougars had no answer. Richards finished with 3 hits and 6 RBIs. Brad Vericker, who was 10-for-20 (.500) in 5 games against the Cougars this year, and Scheler both finished 4-for-5 with Vericker scoring 4 runs.
Ricky Guzman picked up the win for the Crusaders, who face the loser of the 3 p.m. game between Biola and The Master's. Guzman fired 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits but 5 of the Cougars' 6 runs. He walked 5 and struck out 2. Jiminez worked the final 3, allowing just 1 hit, 1 walk and 1 run.
Matt Dzama scored a pair of runs and had a single in his final collegiate game. Robert Guiles scored twice as well.
