Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 AZUSA, Calif. – The hits kept falling and the Cougars made a statement.
Azusa Pacific swept a doubleheader from Dixie State to help solidify its ranking as one of the top teams in the NCAA Division II West Region. The Cougars came into the series ranked second while the PacWest leading Red Storm sported a ranking of sixth. The teams complete the series with a single game tomorrow at Noon.
The Cougars upped their record to 29-16 overall and 19-12 in league games while Dixie State falls to 28-15 and 21-6 respectively.
For the third time this season the Cougars scored at least 10 runs in both ends of a doubleheader. As a team Azusa Pacific went 39-for-78 at the plate with 14 extra base hits in the sweep.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 12, Dixie State 4
An outstanding start at the plate was backed-up by a quality outing on the mound.
In the opening inning the Cougars used some two-out magic to piece together their first run. Back-to-back singles by Daniel Martin and Jordan Brower put Martin in scoring position then he was brought home on a single by Ryan Santana. Azusa Pacific tacked on a four runs in the third inning. Brower doubled home Martin with one-out then Pablo O'Connor hit a deep drive off the wall in left centerfield to score Brower. The final three runs in the frame came courtesy of the long ball. Joe Hutshing third big fly of the year; a two-run shot that scored O'Connor, continued the momentum. Adrian Tovalin made it back-to-back shots with a homerun over the right centerfield fence.
Azusa Pacific continued its offensively exploits in the fourth inning as they tacked on three more runs with RBI single by Brower then a two-run double by O'Connor.
The nine early run were more than enough as Cougar starting pitcher Jacob Cage had one of the best outings of the season by a PacWest pitcher. The senior struck out eight and allowed just three hits and two unearned runs in 8.1 innings of work. The senior didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning.
The final runs for the Cougars came in the eighth courtesy of a two-run double by Santana and an RBI single from Huthsing. Dixie State added four unearned runs in the ninth inning to complete the game's scoring.
Azusa Pacific's 2-6 hitters were nearly unstoppable as they combined to go 16-for-26 at the plate with all 12 RBIs. They also scored all but one of the team runs. Brower led the charge with a 5-for-5 contest with three runs scored and two RBIs from the clean-up spot. Santana, O'Connor and Huthsing all had three RBIs.
Game Two – Azusa Pacific 15, Dixie State 5
Despite allowing an unearned run in the first inning, the Cougars responded in the second frame. Blake James started the inning with his third homerun of the season over the left centerfield fence. Jordan Brower made the score 3-1 when he drove home Adrian Tovalin and Mitch Dergazarian.
The team's traded a run each in the third inning. Dixie State scored on a Donald Glover RBI single before the Cougars responded with a run scoring base knock by Brian Magana. Azusa Pacific piled on three more runs in the fourth inning using four hits and two wild pitches and sacrifice. Martin and Brower singled early in the stanza then scored on wild pitches. A Blake James sacrifice fly scored Santana as the Cougars carried a 7-2 lead into the fifth inning.
Dixie State got right back into the game in the next frame. Donald Glover hit an RBI single for the Red Storm first run of the inning, two batters later Kevin Kline hit a two-run double down the third base line and the visitors were down 7-5. The visitors still had an opportunity but reliever Jonny Reid shut down the threat with back-to-back strikeouts with two runners in scoring position.
The Cougars proceed to get those runs back and more; all of it with two outs. It started when Pablo O'Connor worked a base loaded walk in the fifth inning then James smashed a double to left field which scored Santana and Brower. Adrian Tovalin put Azusa Pacific in complete control when his single to left field plated O'Connor and James. Azusa Pacific sealed the win with a three-run sixth inning.
Brower completed his doubleheader with nine total hits as the senior went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBIs and two doubles. James went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and three runs.
