AZUSA, Calif. -- The Azusa Pacific offense came alive in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader, producing seven runs on 11 hits in a 7-1 victory, but Notre Dame de Namur answered in the second game behind Jenna Bassler's complete-game 7-0 shutout to split the Pacific West Conference doubleheader.

Freshman shortstop Illiana Jimenez went three-for-four in her first game in the leadoff spot in the Cougar lineup, and her bunt single to lead off the third inning was the first of four hits in a three-run frame that gave Azusa Pacific starting pitcher Carly Xepoleas a 4-0 lead through three innings of the opener.

Xepoleas surrendered one run in the fourth inning, but was otherwise on point, scattering three walks and four hits while striking out six to pick up her third victory of the year. Sophomore third baseman Nicki Sprague drilled a leadoff triple in the sixth inning and scored on a wild pitch, finishing the game one-for-two with two walks and three runs scored. Seniors Desiree Chavez and Sona Babayan collected two hits each in the 7-1 victory.

In the second game, Bassler recorded the shutout by scattering five hits and three walks while the Argonauts took advantage of six Azusa Pacific errors for two unearned runs in the first inning and three more in the sixth. Bassler didn't allow a single runner past first base until the sixth inning, when she got an inning-ending groundout to leave the bases loaded and keep her 5-0 lead intact.

Kaydi Kochi and Toni Cardoza each went two-for-four to account for half of NDNU's eight-hit effort. Cardoza also went two-for-three in the opener, finishing the day four-for-seven with two runs scored.

With the split, Azusa Pacific lost three of four games of the four-game series, doing so for the second consecutive weekend to fall to 8-11 overall and 2-6 in PacWest play heading into Monday's 4 p.m. twinbill with Holy Names, which wraps up a 12-game homestand for the Cougars.