AZUSA, Calif.. –- There is a cold, wet storm coming, and Southern California is thankful; not because of a lengthy drought that has plagued the region, but rather because softball foes are in need of something to cool off Azusa Pacific bats.
The NAIA's No. 18-ranked Azusa Pacific kept its torrid bats going with a nonconference doubleheader sweep of Dominican, downing the Penguins 12-0 in the opener and 8-1 in the nightcap. The Cougars clocked Penguin pitching for 26 hits in 55 at-bats, including 11 extra-base safeties.
Tonight's onslaught is a continuation of power surge that began last Saturday. Over the past 18 innings at the plate, Azusa Pacific has scored 51 runs, batting a whopping .472 with 13 doubles, a pair of triples and 4 home runs, 3 of them off the bat of southpaw Jessica Mikesell.
"I'm just seeing it right now," said Mikesell, who is 11-for-13 in the past 4 games with 16 RBIs and 8 extra-base hits, explaining her mammoth 2.007 slugging percentage. "Everything else is hazy except for the ball coming off the pitcher's hip."
Mikesell went 3-for-4 in the first game against Dominican tonight. Her first-inning single sent Lori Shimasaki home with the first of what would be a dozen Cougars runs. The next inning she plated 2 more runs with the first of 2 doubles she had to the left-center gap, igniting the Cougar romp with a 4-run second inning.
"I'm trying to approach every at-bat like it's my last one," said Mikesell, whose college career has been hampered by 2 knee surgeries. "When you've sat as much as I have, you want to take each at-bat one at a time. It keeps me fresh. It keeps me going."
Shimasaki, who a year ago led the Cougars with 62 hits -- 60 of which were singles, continued to showcase her new and improved power stroke, going 3-for-3 in the opener. She launched 2 shots into the right-center gap, one that went for a double and the other that ended in the speedster's second inside-the-park home run of the season, a 2-run rip that capped a 5-run third-inning.
"Lori is so stinking quick, and she wants those inside the park jobs," said Cougar coach Lori Kwiatkowski. "The improvement in her hitting has been tremendous. She is now a triple threat. She can bunt, slap and hit for power, and that's really ideal for a lefty."
In the second game, Azusa Pacific scored in 3 of the first 4 innings to move out to a 7-0 lead, and again Mikesell was in the middle of attack. She went 3-for-3 with 2 doubles and an opposite field home run, knocking in 3 runs in the process. Her 2-run double in the second inning scored Shimasaki and Justine Barnett to put the Cougars up 3-0 at the time.
Junior second baseman Tami Carter, who pushed her hitting streak to 11 games and like much of the team is on fire herself, batting .633 (19-for-30) over the past 3 weeks, laced a 2-run, 2-out single in the fourth inning to put Azusa Pacific up 7-0.
Not be lost in mix of hot hitters, catcher Shawna Paxton was 4-for-4 in the second game with an RBI and a run scored.
Lost in fury of runs has been the stellar pitching of Kris Franks and Michelle Coleman, whose 12 innings of combined work tonight, held the Penguins to just 1 run, a fourth-inning Jessica Talman home run to left field. It's the only run the Cougars have allowed in the past 4 games and 22 innings of work
The sweep pushes the Cougar record to 11-6 on the season and re-energizes the team as it heads back into GSAC play for the next 8 games.
"I'm excited," said Mikesell. "Everyone on the team is swinging the bat hard, and we need that because we're going to be facing great pitching in conference."
Kwiatkowski concurred.
"We have been consistent from top to bottom, 1 through 9. It's nice not to have any dead spots in the line-up. With as strong as the GSAC is, you better be ready."
