Box Score AZUSA, Calif. – The long ball is in style; at least it was on Friday.

Azusa Pacific launched eight homeruns in their 19-6 win against Fresno Pacific. The Cougars also cranked out 23 hits which was the second most of the season.

A host of players got into the action. All three of Daniel Martin's hits left the ballpark as the junior tallied a seven RBI contest. Mitch Dergazarian also had a multi-homerun day with two as he drove home four runs. Jordan Brower and Ryan Santana each had three hits and a homerun. 

It was the final regular season game of the season for the Cougars who will now wait until next Sunday, May 10 when the NCAA will make their selections for the West Regional Championships. Azusa Pacific is a near lock for a selection but their opponent, as well as the location of the six-team championship, has yet to be determined. 

After two quick outs in the first inning the Sunbirds (32-18) were able to piece together two runs. After back-to-back singles by Steven Lozier and Preston Scott, they scored on a Nick Pate groundout to shortstop which was misplayed. The long ball crusade began as the Cougars cut their 2-0 deficit in half when Degazarian smashed the first he saw over the rightfield wall. Two batters later Martin tied it up with his 15th homerun of the season. 

The big fly trend continued for the Cougars as Michael Staudinger hit his first career homerun to start the second inning. Azusa Pacific was able to load the base as the frame continued but couldn't get another runner across the plate. In the fourth inning the home squad made-up for their missed opportunity in the previous frame. Dergazarian hit his second home of the game with a three-run homerun to put his team in front 6-2.  Jordan Brower tacked on a two-run homerun, also over the right field fence, later in the frame as Azusa Pacific went up 8-2.

Despite their six-run deficit the Sunbirds got four runs back in the fifth inning as Scott hit a three-run homerun then Nick Pate nailed a solo shot over the left centerfield wall two pitches later. Fresno Pacific, down to their final 12 outs, was now just down 8-6. 

Martin doubled the Cougars (32-18) lead with his second homerun of the day as he crushed a 1-2 pitch from Michael Rodrigues over the protective netting in leftfield that went into the on-campus housing area. That 10-6 lead was increased with Ryan Santana's third homerun of the series with a solo bomb. Azusa Pacific scored their first run of the day without a homerun when Adrian Tovalin laced an RBI single to centerfield which scored Staudinger and the home team was comfortably back in front 12-6.

The Cougars tacked on additional runs in the seventh when Cam Bennett ripped a single that scored Brower and Santana. A five-run eighth inning completed the scoring for the Cougars and was highlighted by a Martin grandslam.