AZUSA, Calif. – What almost was, didn't quite happen.
Azusa Pacific nearly salvaged the final game of four-game set with Cal State Monterey Bay with an epic comeback before falling to the Otters 14-12.
Down by 10 runs after the first three innings, the Cougars were able to knot the score late before final inning heroics from the visitors gave them the series sweep.
Cal State Monterey's offense continue its strong effort in the four-game set during the early innings. The Otters scored three runs in the second inning to grab the early lead. Myles Hagar started the scoring with a two-run home run to leftfield which scored Chris Blanton. The visitors tacked on an addition run in the frame when Brian Bostjancic scrambled home on an Azusa Pacific throwing error.
A seven-run third inning proved tough, but not impossible, to overcome for the Cougars. Kevin Davidson's deep fly ball into the leftfield netting emptied the bases for a grand slam to highlight the frame. After the third stanza, the Cougars were facing a 10-run deficit.
Just as effective for the Otters (9-0) was starting pitcher Ryan Boydstun. The right hander kept the Cougars off balance until the fifth inning when he allowed his first hit. Azusa Pacific (2-6) pieced together five hits in the frame and trimmed their disadvantage to 10-3 as Tanner Negrette, Cam Bennett and Adrian Tovalin all had RBI singles.
Azusa Pacific continued its rally in the sixth inning. Pablo O'Connor, who started the inning with a single, scored on a pass ball for the Cougars fourth run. With two outs Chris Sandberg laced a double down the left field line for his first RBI with the program as Michael Staudinger scored.
The Cougars mounted a climatic rally in the eighth inning as they loaded the bases with just one out. Staudinger scored when Cam Bennett was hit by a pitch on a 1-2 count. Mitch Dergazarian next came to the plate as the tying run. However, Otter reliever Jacob Cox induced a shallow fly out to leftfield. Another run was forced home as Negrette worked a four pitch walk. Tovalin smashed a 1-1 pitch through the left side to score Sandberg and Bennett to bring the Cougars deficit down to 10-9. On the very next pitch, O'Connor completed the rally with an RBI single to score Negrette.
Unfortunately for Azusa Pacific the rally went for naught as Myler Hagar cleared the left centerfield fence with a two-run homerun with two outs in the ninth inning. After a Bostjancic single, Will Rosado hit the inning's second two-run homerun as the Otters took a 14-10 lead.
Despite another deficit the Cougars mounted another rally. A Sandberg single started the scoring as Justin Gomez crossed the plate. Shortly thereafter Azusa Pacific loaded the bases for the second consecutive inning with just one out. A walk by pitch hitter Steven Garrett forced home Sandberg to make the score 14-12. The Cougars second rally would fall short as they left the bases full to close out the contest.
Tovalin, O'Connor, Sandberg and Bennett each had two hits to aid in their comeback efforts. Tovalin scored three runs while Sandberg and Bennett each drive home two and crossed the plate twice.
Rosado led the way for the Otters with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored. Also impressive was Hager's game from the eight-hole in the line-up. He had four RBI, two hits and scored three times.
