Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FRESNO, Calif. – The Azusa Pacific dropped a pair of PacWest games in a doubleheader at Fresno Pacific on Friday evening.

Game 1 – Fresno Pacific 9, Azusa Pacific 5

The Sunbirds took their second straight against the Cougars thanks in large part due to a big early inning.

Despite a 1-0 deficit after the first frame the Cougars righted the ship by scoring four runs in the second inning. A Pablo O'Connor double started the frame, followed by back-to-back walks to Joe Huthsing and Adrian Tovelin. Just five pitches later Austin Shives drove a double to left center that scored Huthsing and O'Connor. With that Cougars had chased Fresno Pacific starting pitcher Jake Martinez. Still with no outs Azusa Pacific plated two more runs on a throwing error by the third baseman during Sean Aspinall's at-bat. The Cougars had an opportunity to add to their lead but couldn't put another run on the scoreboard in that inning.

The home team rallied with a single run in the bottom half of the second inning then retook the lead with a five-run third inning. The critical base knock in the evening was a Steven Lozier three-run double. He ripped the two-out 1-0 pitch to centerfield that broke a 4-4 tie and gave the Sunbirds the lead for good. 

Trailing 7-4, the Cougars got a run back in the fourth inning on a Daniel Martin sacrifice fly that scored Tovalin. That would be the final run Azusa Pacific would score. Fresno Pacific added insurance by scoring once time each in the fifth and sixth innings. 

Shives went 2-for-2 with those two RBIs while scoring once. Pablo O'Connor tallied two doubles in his five at-bats. Dergazarian also had two hits for the Cougars.

Jacob Cage took his first loss of the season after going 3.0 innings on the bump. 

Game 2 – Fresno Pacific 1, Azusa Pacific 0 (7 Innings)

The Sunbirds made a first inning run stand-up throughout the contest. With one-out Michael Tittle hit a double down the right field line that scored Baron Bower. 

From there the two starting pitchers took over as each of them earned complete games. Cougar starter Michael Fairchild allowed just three hits the rest of the way. The righthander struck out nine and walked just one during his 94-pitch effort

His counterpart Drew Merlo also surrendered just four hits. Merlo struck out nine as well and didn't issue any walks. 

Azusa Pacific put just two runners in scoring position during the contest.