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Azusa Pacific University Athletics

The Online Home of the Azusa Pacific Cougars
1
Azusa Pacific APU 28-10, 18-9 GSAC
7
Winner Point Loma Nazarene PLNU 28-9, 21-6 GSAC
Azusa Pacific APU
28-10, 18-9 GSAC
1
Final
7
Point Loma Nazarene PLNU
28-9, 21-6 GSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Azusa Pacific APU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 1
Point Loma Nazarene PLNU 0 0 0 3 1 0 3 0 X 7 13 2

W: HONER (2-0) L: Gehle, Peter (4-2)

2
Azusa Pacific APU 28-11, 18-10 GSAC
4
Winner Point Loma Nazarene PLNU 29-9, 22-6 GSAC
Azusa Pacific APU
28-11, 18-10 GSAC
2
Final
4
Point Loma Nazarene PLNU
29-9, 22-6 GSAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Azusa Pacific APU 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 5 1
Point Loma Nazarene PLNU 0 0 0 0 1 3 X 4 4 1

W: BOVICH (8-0) L: Stone, Matt (2-2) S: WINNICK (7)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Joe Reinsch

Cougars' Title Defense Lost At Sea

SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- With its Golden State Athletic Conference title defense at stake, the NAIA's No. 7-ranked Azusa Pacific essentially conceded the title to No. 4-ranked Point Loma Nazarene Thursday, managing just 3 total runs in the Sea Lions' 7-1, 4-2 doubleheader sweep.
 
The twinbill, originally scheduled to open the conference schedule for both teams the first weekend in February, was rescheduled for this week due to rain. Point Loma Nazarene entered the makeup doubleheader with a 2-game lead over the Cougars, and Azusa Pacific now sits tied for third in the GSAC with The Master's, 4 games behind the conference leader. Fresno Pacific moved into sole possession of second place, 3 games behind the Sea Lions, due to the doubleheader sweep.
 
Junior catcher Chris Feicht was one of the few bright spots offensively for Azusa Pacific, slamming a 2-out solo home run to right field in the top of the first inning of the opener. Feicht went 2-for-2 in the game before suffering an injury on the bases that forced him out of action until he drew a walk in a pinch-hit appearance in the Cougars' final at-bat of the nightcap.
 
Junior southpaw Peter Gehle, Azusa Pacific's Game 1 starter, nearly got out himself out of his own bases-loaded jam after he walked the leadoff man and hit the second batter of the inning with a pitch. Point Loma Nazarene third baseman Wes Kartch laid down a perfect bunt down the third-base line and beat it out for a hit that loaded the bases with no outs. Gehle induced back-to-back infield popups and was 1 strike away from getting out of the inning until Sea Lions' catcher and No. 9 hitter Tim Winslow hit a line drive to straightaway center just beyond the reach of senior centerfielder Drew Evans for a bases-clearing 2-out double.
 
The Sea Lions added another run in the fifth and touched up Cougar reliever Ryan Rosenhahn for 3 more in the seventh inning to take a 7-1 lead. Meanwhile, Point Loma Nazarene starter Chris Honer kept the Cougars' GSAC-leading offense in check, allowing just 1 Cougar to second base with less than 2 outs.
 
In the nightcap, Andrew Bovich took a perfect game into the sixth inning, although Azusa Pacific starter Matt Stone nearly matched the effort, giving up just 1 run on 2 hits through the first 5 innings. Senior shortstop Shaun Lane hit a clean single to center to break up the perfect game, and Lane ended up scoring on a strange turn of events with 2 outs. Senior third baseman Ryan Dowell beat out an infield single to third base, advancing Lane from second to third, but the Sea Lions mistakenly thought that the first-base umpire had ruled Dowell out at first to end the inning. Lane took off for home amid the confusion, scoring easily without a throw to the plate to tie the game at 1-1 with his heads-up baserunning. Dowell was thrown out trying to take second after Lane scored, officially ending the inning.
 
Stone was 1 out away from holding Point Loma Nazarene scoreless in the bottom of the sixth after issuing a hit-batsman and a walk, but designated hitter Travis McCleary got just enough air under a fly ball to clear the shallow right-field fence for a 3-run home run that gave the Sea Lions a 4-1 advantage.
 
Junior Ryan Delgado, catching for the first time in his collegiate career in place of the injured Feicht, extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a seventh-inning leadoff single, and junior first baseman Brice Cutspec doubled to left-center to give the Cougars runners on second and third with no outs. A groundout scored a run that cut the lead to 4-2, but pinch-runner Todd Stiles was cut down at third base for the second out trying to advance on Evans' grounder to short. Senior leftfielder Stephen Gillette singled to left to keep Azusa Pacific's comeback hopes alive, knocking Bovich out of the game. With Feicht batting as a pinch-hitter, a wild pitch advanced both baserunners and put Gillette, who represented the tying run, at second base. With first base empty, Sea Lions closer Steven Winnick walked Feicht to load the bases. Winnick struck out freshman pinch-hitter Jeff West to close out the 4-2 victory for Point Loma Nazarene.
 
After starting the season with 21 wins in 24 games, Azusa Pacific is just 7-8 over the past month and is now 28-11 overall, 18-10 in GSAC play. Point Loma Nazarene improves to 29-9 overall, 22-6 GSAC. Up next for the Cougars is their first 5-game week of the season, beginning with a non-conference visit to Cal State San Marcos on Tuesday, April 14, followed by away-and-home GSAC contests against California Baptist Wednesday and Thursday, April 15 and 16.
 
 
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