Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 AZUSA, Calif. -- Despite spotting Chaminade early three-run leads in both games of Monday's Pacific West Conference doubleheader, Azusa Pacific rallied for the doubleheader sweep with 6-5 and 11-3 victories over the Silverswords.

With the sweep, Azusa Pacific improved to 18-7 overall and 9-3 in the PacWest, while Chaminade dropped to 8-22 overall, 4-16 PacWest.

Rainelle Matsuoka provided three-run home runs with two outs in the first inning of both games to give the Silverswords a three-run lead to start each game, but the Cougars rallied for the lead in the middle innings of both contests to pick up the victories.

In Game 1, Azusa Pacific took the lead with a three-run fifth inning, scoring all three with two outs on five consecutive base hits. Trailing 5-3 heading into the bottom half of the frame, sophomore first baseman Kayla Jimenez got the two-out rally going with a single up the middle, which was followed by an RBI double to left center from senior leftfielder Janelle Eccles. Senior catcher Ally Wimer brought Eccles home from second with a single down the left field line, tying the game at 5-5, and sophomore rightfielder Anneliese Davis kept the rally alive with a single to left before junior centerfielder Abry Moreno drove in the go-ahead run with another single up the middle.

Jimenez also started a two-run fourth inning with a leadoff double to right center with Azusa Pacific trailing by a 4-1 count. She advanced to third on a fly out and scored on Wimer's sacrifice fly to center, cutting the lead to 4-2, and Davis' infield single sparked another two-out rally. Moreno walked, and an error on an Illiana Jimenez grounder to the left side allowed Davis to score and cut the lead to 4-3.

Junior lefthander Carly Xepoleas tossed three innings of shutout relief to pick up the win, surrendering just one hit with three strikeouts over the final three frames.

In the second game, the 3-0 lead from Matsuoka's three-run first-inning blast was erased one run at a time in each of the first three innings before Azusa Pacific strung together four straight hits for a three-run fourth inning to take control of the game for good. Moreno's one-out double sparked the rally, which continued with consecutive RBI singles from Illiana Jimenez and freshman shortstop Cayla Broussard. Junior second baseman Nicki Sprague followed with a one-out double, and Broussard scored on Madison Hernandez's sacrifice fly that gave the Cougars a 6-3 edge.

After adding a run in the fifth to make it 7-3, Azusa Pacific ended the game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. The first four hitters of the inning reached safely before senior Jessica Melcher finished the game with a two-run triple to right field that gave the Cougars an eight-run mercy-rule win.

On the day, Azusa Pacific tallied 17 runs on 28 hits, including 11 runs on 17 hits in the nightcap. Junior righthander Ariana von Zboray picked up the win, striking out six in five innings of work before senior righthander Narissa Garcia retired the side in the sixth to finish off the victory.

Kayla Jimenez, Eccles, and Davis each registered two hits in the opener, while Illiana Jimenez went four-for-four and Broussard was three-for-three to pace the Cougar offense in the nightcap.