AZUSA, Calif. -- With its back to the wall and playing for its postseason life, Azusa Pacific stepped up to the challenge and responded with a monstrous doubleheader sweep of California Baptist, getting a thrilling come-from-behind 14-13 win in the opener and surprisingly cruising to a 7-2 win in the nightcap.

With the sweep, the Cougars, who desperately needed a sweep to climb back into the playoff race, move to 20-11 overall, 8-8 GSAC with their seventh win in the past 8 games. The Lancers, who have lost 9 of their last 14, fall to 16-15, 8-6.

More importantly, the Cougars are now just 2 games behind the Lancers in the loss column for the fourth and final playoff spot.

"We had 2 scenarios today—either lose and for all intents and purposes that would be our season, or win and get right back into the race," said Cougar head coach Paul Svagdis. "We looked at it as a challenge, and these guys had a great week of practice. They worked hard, battled and stepped up. They responded to the challenge, and now we're still in it."

With their season on the line, the Cougars twice erased big deficits to get the dramatic 14-13 win in the opener. Right after the Cougars erased a 5-0 deficit in the fifth, Cal Baptist seemingly took control with a 7-run sixth, highlighted by a Marcus Wyatt grand slam to take a 12-5 lead.

The Cougars got 2 of them back on a Jeff Staniland home run in the sixth, but Matt Rodriguez belted a 1-out solo shot in the seventh to push the lead back up to 13-7. That's when the Cougars went to work off Lancer closer Kevin Johnson.

The first 5 batters reached base when the Cougars sandwiched 3 singles between 2 doubles as Robbie Lindsey led off with a double, and after Glen Hedgpeth, Vogt and Billy Gwinn all singled, Joe Morrison capped it with a 2-RBI double that made it 13-10.

With runners at second and third and no outs, Staniland grounded out to drive in Gwinn and bring the Cougars within 2 (13-11). Nick Mercado then won a lengthy battle at the plate to earn a walk and put runners at the corners, and then Radonich blasted the first pitch he saw from Johnson over the left-center field fence to complete the comeback and give the Cougars a 14-13 lead, their first of the day.

Brad McKinney, who allowed 4 runs in his first 2 innings of relief, settled down and allowed just 1 base runner over the final 2 innings to pick up his sixth win of the season. Johnson suffered his second loss of the year after giving up 4 runs in 2 innings.

"McKinney did a great job of bearing down and keeping us in the game," said Svagdis. "Then when we gave him the lead, he shut the door. He's doing his job for us every time he takes the mound."

Seven home runs were hit in the game, 4 by the Cougars and 3 by the Lancers. The Cougars used a pair of home runs, a 2-run shot by Vogt in the fourth and a 3-run blast by Hedgpeth in the fifth to erase the 5-0 hole that the Lancers created off Cougar starter Derek Wohlers with 2 runs in the second and a trio of unearned runs in the third.

Hedgpeth was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Morrison and Vogt each had 2 hits and 2 RBIs.

In the nightcap, the Lancers took a 2-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Ryan Wigley, who also later scored on a delayed double steal. However, Cougar starter Brandon Sisk took over and dominated the rest of the way, scattering just 3 singles over the remaining 5 innings.

In what became the theme of the day, the Cougars fought back and erased another deficit with a 4-run second. Jake Haaker got things started with an RBI single to right field off Lancer ace Oscar Serrato. Cameron Radonich then walked to load the bases, and Stephen Vogt followed with a bases clearing double to deep left center.

In the fourth, the Cougars added 2 more to take a 6-2 lead. Nick Mercado delivered a pinch-hit, 2-out double over center fielder Isamu Nigro's head. Radonich drove him in with single through the right side, and Vogt plated Radonich with his second double in as many at-bats. Radonich then drove in the game's final run with an RBI single in the sixth.

But the game belonged to Sisk, who was brilliant when the Cougars needed him to be. Sisk tossed his second complete-game of the season, scattering 6 hits, 5 of them singles. He allowed just 2 runs and gave up no walks while striking out 4.

"He just went toe-to-toe with one of the best pitchers (Serrato) in the conference, and he outpitched him," said Svagdis, referring to the freshman's performance. "Other than the 2 runs he gave up, which were set up with his balk, he was excellent. We needed that from him today."

Radonich, Vogt and Staniland each had 2 hits apiece. Vogt had 4 RBIs, and Radonich had 2.