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Box Score 2 SAN FRANSICO – The Cougar nine opened PacWest against Academy of Art in a Friday doubleheader.
The two teams will play a four-game set during a two-day stretch in the Bay Area. On Friday the team's split their two games. Azusa Pacific's record now stands at 10-3 overall.
GAME ONE – Academy of Art 14, Azusa Pacific 6
The Cougars fell behind early and couldn't responded in dropping the first game of the series.
Academy of Art jumped out to a 5-1 lead after the first three innings. Azusa Pacific trimmed their deficit in half with two unearned runs in the fifth inning. However, the Urban Knights came right back in the half of the inning with two runs of their own.
Down 7-3, Azusa Pacific's Sean Aspinall scored on a Ryan Santana sacrifice fly to keep his team within striking distance in the sixth inning. In the bottom of the frame a Daniel Skinner grand slam highlighted a seven-run inning as the home team went in front 14-4.
The Azusa Pacific was able to get a run in the seventh and eighth inning but couldn't draw any closer.
The high scoring contest yielded 25 total hits with the Cougars recording 13. Daniel Martin, Jordan Brower and Ryan Santana each had two base knocks.
GAME TWO – Azusa Pacific 5, Academy of Art 2
A low scoring game early yielded to three consecutive scoring innings late for the Cougars as they earned the split.
Academy of Art put the first run on the scoreboard in the second inning and the score remained one-run edge for the home team until the sixth inning. The Cougars scored on a throwing error that allowed Pablo O'Connor to reach base and let Ryan Santana cross the plate.
Daniel Martin gave Azusa Pacific the lead in the next inning when his double down the leftfield line scored Mitch Dergazarian. The Cougars then scored three critical unearned runs in the eighth inning. A throwing error help start the scoring when Adrian Tovalin and O'Connor scored during a Joe Huthsing at-bat with two-outs. Dergazarian followed that with a single to right center that scored Huthing as the Cougars went up 5-1.
Cougar starting pitcher Jacob Cage went 7.0 innings and gave-up just three hits while striking out seven before handing the ball to the bullpen. Josh Grajeda struck out the side in the eighth inning before Michael Shaw work around two hits and a run as he nailed down the victory in the ninth.
Dergazarian help lead the Cougars offense by going 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Jordan Brower and Tovalin also put together two-hit efforts.
Academy of Art was their own worst enemy as they committed five errors in the nightcap.
