AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars closed out their home opening PacWest series by taking a their second doubleheader in two days against Holy Names.
With the four wins in just over 24 hours Azusa Pacific has now won five straight in upping their record to 15-14 overall and 11-5 in league games.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 19, Holy Names 5
Azusa Pacific scored the most runs against a PacWest opponent in taking the opener. In their nearly four full seasons of playing a league schedule, the Cougars eclipsed their previous high of 18 set against Academy of Art during the 2014 season. Against any opponent, it is the most runs since scoring 25 against Montana State Billings early last year.
A host of players had multi-hit games as the Cougars banged out 21 hits. Michael Staudinger had the first five-hit game of the season as he reach base during each at-bat while driving home seven runs and scoring three. Cam Bennett had three hits with four runs scored. Pablo O'Connor scored three runs and drove home three more.
Michael Fairchild worked through some first inning trouble to earn the win on the mound. He struck out two and scattered 10 hits in his 102-pitch outing.
The Hawks offense came out swinging in the opening inning as they seven batters to the plate. Holy Names pieced together three runs on four hits to take the early lead. Azusa Pacific got a run back when Michael Staudinger singled through the right side to score Cam Bennett. Staudinger added another RBI single in the third inning which scored Adrian Tovalin to make the score 3-2.
Azusa Pacific all but put the game out of reach with a seven-run, five-hit fourth inning. The Cougars also took advantage of an error as they sent 13 batters to the plate. Four different players recorded an RBI in the frame highlighted by a two-run double by Pablo O'Connor which scored Bennett and Luke Huerta. Two batters later the Cougars used an error on the first baseman as O'Connor and Staudinger crossed the plate miscue.
The offensive onslaught didn't stop in the fifth inning as the Cougars plated five runs. Staudinger highlighted the stanza with a grand slam that cleared the right centerfield fence. Dergazarian hit a sacrifice fly to account for the other run.
Holy Names put an end to the 14 straight runs scored by the Cougars when Sean Carrington hit a one-out solo homerun in the sixth inning. The Cougars brushed aside the blimp on the scoreboard as the they scored five more runs in their portion of the inning sparked by a three-run long ball from Rene Reyes – his first with the program. Those were the game's final runs.
Game Two – Azusa Pacific 4, Holy Names 3
With a relatively easy effort in the rear view mirror, the Cougars were pushed into the late innings before getting a walk-off victory.
Pablo O'Connor Walk Off Home Run
Holy Names starting pitcher Jayse Bannister was effective going the first nine innings. He struck out four and gave-up six hits. The Cougar pitching trio of Dillion Miyashiro, Kale Morton and David May allowed eight hits and struck out nine. May worked 4.2 innings of solid relief and allowed just a hit in getting his first win of the season.
After each team's offense was stymied in the first two innings, each team put runs on the scoreboard in the third. Holy Names scored first on a Dusty Zeisler base knock which scored Matthew Smith. Down that single run entering their half the inning, the Cougars scored three unearned runs. The Hawks booted the potential third out of the frame and Azusa Pacific took advantage. Luke Huerta, Mitch Dergazarian and Cam Bennett all crossed the plate and the home team never trailed again.
Holy Names was able to knot the score in the fourth inning Branson Umbarger scored on a double play then Trent Carrier crossed the plate when Ryan Fujunaga knocked a double into left centerfield. Holy Names posed a solid threat in the fifth frame put couldn't cash-in on a one-out runners on third and first situation.
Azusa Pacific had an opportunity slip through their fingers in the sixth inning. Despite having pitch runner Michael Franco on second base with one out, Azusa Pacific was induced into an infield pop-up then a sliding catch by the right fielder. Similarly in the seventh inning, Dergazarian was stranded in scoring position as the game went to extra innings.
In the 10th inning Holy Names nearly scored the go ahead run but a beautiful relay from deep in right centerfield nailed Matthew Smith at the plate on an Alex Denobriga single and the score remained 3-3.
The game came to a heroic end as Pablo O'Connor smashed a two-out solo homerun into left centerfield.
