AZUSA, Calif. -- With just one strike left before the opening game of Azusa Pacific's Thursday doubleheader against Biola would move into extra innings, senior centerfielder Renae Chappelle blasted a line drive two-out home run over the left-center field fence to lift the Cougars to a 2-1 victory which preceded an 8-1 win in Game 2 to complete the doubleheader sweep.
Chappelle, the No. 9 hitter in Thursday's lineup, drilled the 1-2 pitch off Biola's pitching ace Reba DePriest, who is the national leader in wins and strikeouts among National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) programs. The home run was Chappelle's second this year, and it was her first walkoff blast, although last year she hit a game-tying seventh-inning home run to help Azusa Pacific rally for a 10-9 win over Hawai?i Pacific.
Azusa Pacific came from behind to win both games, rallying in the late innings for the opening-game win before answering Biola's first-inning run with scoring in each of the first four innings of the 8-1 nightcap victory. With the sweep, the Cougars improved to 24-19 overall while Biola, which is ranked 16th in the NAIA, was swept in a doubleheader for just the second time all year to fall to 26-12.
Junior righthander Narissa Garcia gave up one run on four hits and struck out seven in the complete-game win. The only run she gave up was a fourth-inning leadoff home run off the bat of Biola first baseman Selina Sherlin, which broke a scoreless tie. Senior designated player Desiree Chavez led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left field, and she later scored on a two-out single from freshman first baseman Kayla Jimenez to set up Chappelle's seventh-inning heroics.
In the second game, the Azusa Pacific offense registered 10 hits, led by a three-for-four effort from Chavez, and Biola committed 10 errors to supplement the Cougar offense. After the Eagles picked up an early run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, Azusa Pacific answered for two runs in the bottom of the first inning on three hits with the first two Biola errors. Sophomore third baseman Nicki Sprague successfully stole home for the go-ahead run as Jimenez batted with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.
All it took to pick up another run in the second inning was a two-out infield single for freshman shortstop Illiana Jimenez, who stole two bases and scored on a throwing error as she stole third base.
The Cougars added four runs on just two hits in the third inning, taking advantage of five Biola errors in the frame to extend the lead to 7-1. Senior second baseman Katrina Oviedo and Chappelle delivered the base hits in the inning, each driving in a run with consecutive two-out singles. Chavez led off the fourth inning with a bunt single and rounded out the scoring when Kayla Jimenez dropped a two-out single into shallow left field.
Sophomore southpaw Carly Xepoleas picked up the win, scattering one run on six hits while striking out two, and Destinee Levesque and Anneliese Davis closed out the victory by combing for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief work.
After three weeks between Pacific West Conference games, Azusa Pacific returns to conference play on Saturday, April 11, when it hosts California Baptist, which is ranked 19th in the latest NCAA Division II national rankings.
