AZUSA, Calif. – An early deficit proved to be no match for the Cougars in the late innings.
Azusa Pacific rallied from a three-run hole to post a 7-6 victory against Western Oregon in a critical west region match-up.
The teams split the four-game set at the Cougar Baseball Complex in a series pitting the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament champions against a Cougars squad that earned the No. 2 seed for the NCAA West Regional last season.
In Saturday's finale Pablo O'Connor helped fuel the rally with a 2-for-4 effort while scoring twice and driving home one. Late inning replacement Troy Baird hit a two-run homerun to aid in the winning cause.
The visitors were their own worst enemy as two errors led to three unearned runs for the Cougars.
Western Oregon took the early lead in the second inning as Nathan Etheridge singled home Joey Crunkilton, who previously doubled. The Wolves extended their lead with a two-run fourth inning as Kyle Vanderkin doubled home Cody Sullivan then a bunt single by Marcus Madden plated Vanderkin.
A bizarre bottom of the fourth inning tied the game as the Cougars scored three unearned runs. With two outs Tanner Nagrette reached base on an error by the third baseman. During the next batter, Michael Franco scored on a wild pitch. On the very next pitch Cam Bennett lofted a can-of-corn fly ball to left field that was dropped which allowed Negrette and Justin Gomez to score.
The Wolves regained the lead in their next trip to plate. With two outs, Sullivan drove a ball deep to centerfield which was nearly spectacularly caught by Mitch Dergazarian. However, the ball landed just out of reach as Crunkilton and Brock Pradere scored.
To open the sixth inning O'Connor cranked out the Cougars second home run of the season to trim their deficit to 5-4. With the Wolves clinging to that one-run lead, Azusa Pacific got a lead off single from Bennett to start the seventh inning. With one-out Troy Baird smashed his first homerun as a Cougar over the left field wall to give his team a 6-5 advantage.
Down to their final six outs, the Wolves tied the score in the eighth inning when a two-out single by Etheridge scored pinch runner Forest Garcia from second base. In the bottom half of the frame Bennett gave his team the go-ahead run with a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield which scored O'Connor from third base.
Michael Fairchild completed his relief appearance to earn the win with a one-two-three final inning. The final out came when Zach Taylor made a beautiful diving play in the hole at shortstop and threw out the runner to seal the victory.
On Thursday the Cougars continue their season opening 12-game home stand as the begin a four-game set with Cal State Monterey Bay.
