Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AZUSA, Calif. – A little bit of history mixed in with a strong offense kept things rolling for the Cougars.
Through the first four home games, Azusa Pacific is enjoying the comforts of the Cougars Baseball Complex. Azusa Pacific moved to 4-0 at home with a pair of victories over PacWest foe Point Loma on Friday evening.
Azusa Pacific ups their record to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in PacWest play. Point Loma falls to 12-5 and 0-2 respectively.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 5, Point Loma 0
The Cougars accomplished the program's first nine-inning no-hitter since 1980 as the combination of Josh Staumont, Billy Sanford, Josh Grajeda and Jonathan Velasco turned the trick.
Staumont started the game by going 6.2 innings where he struck out 14 on 116 pitches. Sanford finished the seventh with a strikeout. Grajeda worked a perfect eighth inning then Velasco allowed just one base runner before the final out settled into the glove of Mitch Dergazarian in centerfield. The foursome combined to strike out 16 batters while issuing just four walks.
It was the first no-hitter by the Cougars since a seven-inning "no-no" against UC San Diego in 1981.
Azusa Pacific scored their first run in second inning when Blake James doubled home Joe Huthsing. The scoreboard moved to 2-0 in the next inning as Dergazarian scored on a Pablo O'Connor groundout.
The Cougars put unneeded insurance runs together with a two-run, three-hit sixth inning then a pieced together a run in the eighth inning when Dergazarian hit his first homerun of the season.
Not to be outdone by the pitching staff, the Cougar hitters put together a 16-hit contest as seven different batters recorded at least two base knocks. Jordan Brower had a team best three hits in his four plate appearances.
Game Two – Azusa Pacific 14 , Point Loma 3
Azusa Pacific scored at least four runs in three separate innings to aid in their doubleheader sweep.
The Cougars offense came out of the gates on fire. They batted around in the opening inning as they scored four runs on six hits. The second inning was just as fruitful as Daniel Martin and Ryan Santana highlighted a four-run inning with a pair of two-run homeruns.
Despite trailing 8-1 after two frames, Point Loma put together scoring threats in both the third and fourth innings. The Seas Lions put multiple runners on base in each inning but could score only a single run in each stanza. The visitors left five runners on base combined in those two innings.
With Azusa Pacific comfortably in front 8-3, the home team put another run together when Pablo O'Connor scored on a Blake James sacrifice fly. The game was all but sealed when Mitch Dergazarian hit a bases clearing two-out double in the seventh inning to give his team a 12-3 lead. Two batters later Martin blasted his second two-run long ball of the night to extend the onslaught.
By the game's end the Cougars had 19 hits. Martin extended his hitting streak to a Cougar season best 16 games. He went 4-for-5 with five RBIs and three runs scored. Dergazarian had a three-hit day with three runs scored while driving in three as well. Jordan Brower tallied three hits in addition to scoring twice and driving in two more.
Jacob Cage earned the win on the mound by going 5.0 innings scattering eight hits and striking out four.