BRISBANE, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific's season-long eight-game winning streak was snapped when Academy of Art rallied in the middle innings for a 4-1 win in the opener of Tuesday's Pacific West Conference doubleheader, but the Cougars tied their season scoring high in the nightcap, exploding for 12 runs in a 12-1 mercy-rule win to secure a split.

Senior catcher Madison Hernandez and junior second baseman Nicki Sprague each had three hits in the 12-1 victory. Hernandez went three-for-four with her 10th home run of the season, a three-run shot in a five-run second inning, while Sprague was three-for-four with two runs and three RBIs. Four others registered two hits each, as Azusa Pacific plated 12 runs on 16 hits.

Freshman shortstop Cayla Broussard added two-hit efforts in both games, going two-for-four in the opener and two-for-three with three runs in the second game, and sophomore leftfielderIlliana Jimenez went two-for-three with a walk and three runs scored.

With the split, Azusa Pacific is now 27-9 overall and 14-4 in the PacWest, while Academy of Art is now 15-24-1 overall and 11-9 PacWest. The Cougars take on PacWest-leading California Baptist this Saturday in Riverside for a noon doubleheader against the Lancers.

Junior lefthander Carly Xepoleas picked up her third consecutive win, scattering one unearned run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts in four innings of work. Xepoleas hasn't allowed an earned run in her last four appearances, which span 18.1 innings, dropping her season ERA to a team-best 1.76.

In the opener, Jimenez drew a leadoff walk to start the game, eventually coming around to score by stealing home to give Azusa Pacific an early 1-0 lead. Academy of Art answered in the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 on Andrea Gill's one-out single, and the Urban Knights followed with a three-run fifth to take a 4-1 lead.

In Game 2, the Cougars scored again in the first inning for a 1-0 lead on a Hernandez bunt single, and Hernandez highlighted a five-run second with a three-run blast to left-center. Just before the three-run shot, Sprague had driven in two runs with her two-out single up the middle. Azusa Pacific extended the lead to 9-1 with three runs in the third inning, and Sprague got a three-run fifth inning going with another RBI single that preceded a Kayla Jimenez two-run double that made it 12-1.

Azusa Pacific tied its season scoring high with 12 runs, and the victory was the fourth straight PacWest doubleheader which the Cougars have won Game 2 by mercy rule with double-digit run production.