Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AZUSA, Calif. – Looking to sweep a four-game set against Hawaii Hilo, the Cougars came up just short as they split the second doubleheader in three days between the two teams.

Azusa Pacific finishes the PacWest series with a 20-7 overall record and a 10-6 mark in conference games. The Vulcans limp out of the San Gabriel valley 5-16 and 4-12 respectively. 

Game One – Azusa Pacific 5, Hawaii Hilo 1

An early deficit was no matter for a strong pitching effort and just enough offense. 

After allowing a unearned run in the first inning, Cougar starting pitcher Wyatt Wood proceeded to set down 13 straight batters. After five inning the right hander struck out eight and allowed just one hit as he settled into a nice groove. 

Azusa Pacific's tied the score in their first go round as Mitch Dergazarian hit his second homerun of the season with a shot over the right field wall. The home took the lead for good when Ryan Santana tripled to start the second inning then scored on a wild pitch. Daniel Martin made the scored 3-1 Cougars with his eighth homerun of the season in the third inning. 

The Cougars continued to hold their two-run lead as Wood left the game after recording one out in the seventh inning. With runners on first and second, Billy Sanford came out of the bullpen to record the final two outs of the frame as Azusa Pacific continued to hold their 3-1 edge

Any hopes of a Vulcan revival in game one were put to the wayside with a two-run eighth inning by the Cougars. Azusa Pacific opened the inning with a double by Brian Magana then a single by Michael Staudinger put runners on first and third with nobody out. Jordan Brower drove home the first run with a sacrifice fly to center field. Santana earned a base loaded walk which scored Staudinger to give the home team a 5-1 edge.

Josh Grajeda finished his fourth save of the season with a perfect ninth inning after getting the final out of the eighth inning. Wood earned the win by going 6.1 innings where he struck out nine and allowed just two hits. 

Offensively Magana went 3-for-3 while Dergazarian drove in two and scored another. 

Game Two – Hawaii Hilo 4, Azusa Pacific 3

A quickly played nip-and-tuck contest was decided in the final inning.

The Vulcans salvaged a game in the four-game series with a one-out double by Edison Sakata down the right field line that just tipped off the glove after a leaping effort of Jordan Brower at first base came up inches short. Jonathan Segovia scored the winning run in the last stanza of the seven-inning game.

It was the second rally of the game for Hawaii Hilo. With the Cougars leading 2-1 after two innings, the visitors scored twice in the third inning as they put together two runs on two hits plus an error by Azusa Pacific. 

The Cougars tied the score in the fourth inning when Brower scored on an RBI groundout by Adrian Tovalin. Brower opened the inning with a triple to deep right center. 

Neither team mounted a serious threat in the fifth and sixth innings before Hawaii Hilo put together three hits in the final inning to score the winning run.

Michael Slifer earned the win by pitching 3.1 innings of relief. His 44-pitch performance saw him strike out four and scatter three hits. He set the Cougars down in order in the final inning.

Brower put together his team leading 16th multi-hit effort of the season by going 3-for-3 while scoring twice.