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7
California Baptist CBU 26-18, 15-15 GSAC
15
Winner Azusa Pacific APU 29-13, 19-11 GSAC
California Baptist CBU
26-18, 15-15 GSAC
7
Final
15
Azusa Pacific APU
29-13, 19-11 GSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
California Baptist CBU 2 0 0 4 0 0 1 0 0 7 9 5
Azusa Pacific APU 1 6 2 1 0 1 2 2 X 15 13 4

W: Lebsock, Garrett (9-3) L: KIEFER, C. (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Reinsch

Cougars Feeling Right At Home

AZUSA, Calif. -- The NAIA's No. 14-ranked Azusa Pacific shook off its longest losing streak in 3 years Thursday to hand California Baptist, one of the hottest teams in the Golden State Athletic Conference, a 15-7 defeat in the Cougars' first home game in nearly 3 weeks.
 
Fresh off a season-long 8-game road trip that spanned 2 full weeks of action, Azusa Pacific took less than 24 hours to recover from its fourth straight defeat. The Cougar offense manufactured runs in 7 of its 8 turns to bat, including a 6-run second inning that gave Azusa Pacific the lead for good after California Baptist had scored twice in the top of the first inning.
 
"I don't think there was any more or any less pressure to win because we were at home, but I think we felt comfortable and excited to be here after such a long time on the road," Cougar head coach Paul Svagdis said. "It was a long road trip, we were battling injuries during the road trip, and we played some tough games out there. The guys have been hanging tough, and I was proud of the way they continued to compete."
 
Junior first baseman Brice Cutspec led the way, batting 4-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 home runs and 5 RBIs after drawing a 4-pitch walk in his first plate appearance in the bottom of the first inning. It was the first multi-homer game for Cutspec, Azusa Pacific's career home run record holder, since a March 3 non-conference win over La Verne, and it was his first in GSAC play since his 2007 freshman season, when he hit 3 home runs in the opening game of an April  doubleheader against Point Loma Nazarene. Cutspec's 4-hit effort was the sixth of his career, and his 4 extra-base hits were a career single-game high.
 
The first 2 batters in the Cougar lineup, seniors Eddie Crespo and Ryan Dowell, reached base safely 5 times each to help set the table for Azusa Pacific's 13-hit attack. Crespo scored a game-high 4 runs, and Dowell drew a game-high 3 walks, and both scored on junior catcher Chris Feicht's bases-loaded 3-run double that pushed the Cougars to a 5-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Three pitches later, Cutspec crushed a towering fly ball over the fence in straightaway center field for a 2-run shot that capped Azusa Pacific's 6-run outburst.
 
"With Crespo and Dowell reaching base as often as they did today, they created scenarios for Brice where (California Baptist) had to pitch to him," Svagdis said. "I think that really helped him, and he was very patient at the plate."
 
After California Baptist rallied for 4 runs in the fourth inning to cut the Cougar lead to 9-6, Cutspec led off the bottom half of the frame with a double down the right-field line. Senior centerfielder Drew Evans hit his GSAC-leading 19th double of the year to drive in pinch-runner Alex Ring, and Cutspec led off the bottom of the sixth inning with his second home run of the game, a solo shot down the right-field line that gave Azusa Pacific an 11-6 margin.
 
Senior righthander Garrett Lebsock picked up the win in relief, tossing 4 innings of 1-run, 3-hit ball with 3 strikeouts to improve to 9-3 on the season. Lebsock is now 6-0 in his 8 relief appearances, and the run he gave up was just his second in 19.1 innings of work out of the bullpen this season. Senior righthander Ben Jones threw 2 perfect innings to close out the victory for the Cougars.
 
Senior leftfielder Stephen Gillette snapped out of a 1-for-14 slump with 3 hits, his 16th multi-hit game of the season. California Baptist was led by utility infielder Bobby Burk's 3-for-5 effort, while designated hitter Sean Kelley added a pair of hits along with 2 RBIs for the Lancers, who rank second in the GSAC in team batting average.
 
With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 29-13 overall, 19-11 GSAC, while California Baptist drops to 26-18 overall, 15-15 GSAC. The top  5 teams in the final conference standings will advance to the GSAC Postseason Tournament, whose winner will earn 1 of the conference's 2 automatic bids into the 46-team NAIA National Championship Tournament field. Point Loma Nazarene holds a 4-game lead over second-place Fresno Pacific, and 2-time defending GSAC champion Azusa Pacific sits in a third-place tie with The Master's, 5 games behind the league-leader with 6 conference games remaining.
 
"Now the goal is to play good baseball and try to do the best we can to win out," said Svagdis, whose squad finishes its regular-season with 6 GSAC games and an April 27 non-conference meeting with NAIA independent Cal State San Marcos.
 
"When one goal (of the season) is not met, you have to re-evaluate what you can attain from here. Our first goal is to play competitive baseball, regardless of the outcome, for the next 7 games. The intensity level we brought to yesterday's and today's games set the goal for the level of intensity we'd like to bring to each game the rest of the season, and then we'll see where we're at."
 
The Cougars host Vanguard in a noon doubleheader on Saturday, April 18, before finishing the league schedule with 4 road games, playing 2 each at Biola and Westmont.
 
HEAD COACH PAUL SVAGDIS
 
"I don't think there was any more or any less pressure to win because we were at home, but I think we felt comfortable and excited to be here after such a long time on the road. I think we were more excited to play at home than anything else. It was a long road trip, we were battling injuries during the road trip, and we played some tough games out there. Some days we played good baseball, but the teams we played against played better."
 
"The guys have been hanging tough."
 
"Now the goal is to play good baseball and try to do the best we can to win out. When one goal is not met, you have to re-evaluate what you can attain from here. Our first goal is to play competitive baseball, regardless of the outcome, for the next 7 games. The intensity level we brought to yesterday's and today's games set the goal for the level of intensity we'd like to bring to each game the rest of the season, and then we'll see where we're at."
 
"We were getting the leadoff hitter on base today. With Crespo and Dowell reaching base as often as they did today, they created scenarios for Brice where (California Baptist) had to pitch to him. I think that really helped him, and he was very patient at the plate."
 
 
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