AZUSA, Calif. – In the middle portion of the four-game against Northwest Nazarene, the Cougar fell in a doubleheader on Friday.
The series concludes with a single game on Saturday afternoon at 12 p.m.
Game One – Northwest Nazarene 7, Azusa Pacific 6
Northwest Nazarene used the long ball to jump out to a three-run lead. The Crusaders started the scoring in the second inning when Ryan Johnson hit a two-run blast to left field which scored Jesse Hilyard, who started the frame with a single. In next chance at-bat, Northwest Nazarene got a solo homerun from Tyler Davis.
The visitors added a run to their 3-0 lead in the fourth inning when a Colton McCluskey double drove home Johnathon Hallman, who started the stanza with a two bagger. In bottom half of that frame, the Cougars rallied from their deficit. Adrian Tovalin started the inning with a walk before Pablo O'Connor hit his team leading third homerun of the season. After the long ball Steven Garrett walked then Joe Huthsing pop a single to leftfield. Crusader starter Jaramy Jacobs nearly worked out of the no-out jam but with two outs and the count full Luke Huerta hit his first homerun with Azusa Pacific to give his team a 5-4 lead.
Northwest Nazarene regained their lead in the fifth inning when Hallman laced a two-out single to centerfield which scored Hilyard and Davis. A Davis solo homerun to leftfield to start the seventh inning upped the visitor's advantage to 7-5. In their portion of the inning the Cougars got a run back when Tovalin hit a deep fly to leftfield that was caught against the wall for a sacrifice fly that scored Luke Huerta from third base.
In the final two innings the Cougars got a runner on first base but couldn't get him into scoring position.
Jacobs earned the win on the mound for the Crusaders as the lefthander went five innings where he struck out five, and worked around five walks and three hits in 113 pitches. At the plate Davis had two homeruns and scored three times.
Offensively for the Cougars Huerta 2-for-2 with two runs scored and three RBI.
Game Two – Northwest Nazarene 4, Azusa Pacific 0
Northwest Nazarene starting pitcher Colton Loomis kept the Cougar hitters off balance as he had a no-hitter. He allowed six base runners (four walks, hit-by-pitch and reached on an error). Azusa Pacific loaded the bases in the fifth but couldn't get a run across the plate.
Similar to the opener, the Crusaders got off to a quick start. Tyler Davis doubled home leadoff batter Josh Hatfield for the first run. The visitors scored an unearned later in the inning when Ryan Johnson singled home Davis. Northwest Nazarene added another unearned run in the second frame when Hatfield reach on a two-out error as Tucker Campbell scored.
The Crusaders took advantage of another Azusa Pacific in the fourth inning when Davis reach on an error which scored Campbell with two outs.
In the seventh inning the Cougars put two men on bases but couldn't get anything to materialize offensively.
