AZUSA, Calif. – After battling for 35 innings over two days and four games, Azusa Pacific and Point Loma each took half.
The PacWest back-to-back doubleheaders were split evenly as Azusa Pacific leaves the series with a 17-16 overall record with a 13-7 mark in league games. Point Loma holds down an 18-10 and 7-7 records respectively.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 8, Point Loma 6
Despite an early three-run deficit, the Cougars rallied quickly then used solid bullpen pitching to secure the win.
After getting the first two outs efficiently, Cougar starting pitcher Michael Fairchild was looking to work around a walk and an error. However, with those two runners on base Kellen Sheppard was able to get just enough of the 2-2 pitch to clear the fence down the right field line.
Azusa Pacific's offense responded quite nicely as they scored seven runs over the next three innings. Highlighting the scoring outburst was Adrian Tovalin's PacWest leading 12th homerun in the first inning as well as Justin Gomez's third long ball of the season in the third frame. During a four-run second stanza, the Cougars took advantage of a pair of Point Loma errors.
Leading 7-4 after the first three innings, the Cougars let the visitors creep back into the game a bit. Harrison Ramey hit his first homerun of the season with a two-run shot to bring his team's deficit down to one-run (7-6). In the fifth inning Azusa Pacific got a bit of insurance when Pablo O'Connor scored on a Michael Franco fielders choice.
Azusa Pacific reliever Kale Mortin help settle down the scoring in the middle inning. The lefthander threw a season high 3.2 innings on 46 pitches and didn't allow a run and just two hits to earn his second win of the season.
Billy Sanford finished out the game with 1.1 innings out of the bullpen. He allowed just one hit and struck out one to earn his first save of the season.
A trio Cougars had two hits as O'Connor, Mychael Goudreau and Mitch Dergazarian had a multi-hit game.
Game Two – Point Loma 5, Azusa Pacific 2
After the pitchers dominated through the early inning the offenses provided the excitement late.
Both starting pitchers were in control during the first five innings. Point Loma starting pitcher Kevin Lillicrop allowed just two hits while striking out six. On the other side, Cougar starter Dillon Miyashiro allowed just five hits with a strikeout
Mitch Dergazarian reached third base in the fourth inning with two outs but couldn't get across the plate. The following inning the Cougars put runners on first and second with just one away but Lillicrop worked out of the jam.
For Point Loma during those opening innings, the Sea Lions put runners into scoring position in two frames but the combination of precise pitching and solid defense kept the visitors off the scoreboard.
Ryan Garcia broke open the scoreless game with a solo home run on the first pitch of the sixth inning. In their final at-bat the Sea Lions chased Miyashiro from the game when Joseph Keller smacked a single up the middle which scored pitch runner Preston Sands.
Lillicrop, who entered the final inning with just 70 pitches, was greeted by a Pablo O'Connor big fly over the left field fence to start the inning. After a groundout, Justin Gomez drove a ball off the left field wall for a double. After pitch runner Grant Gamble advanced to third base on a wild pitch, Michael Franco brought him home with a sacrifice fly.
In eighth inning a Kellen Sheppard RBI single to center field gave the lead back to the Sea Lions as Garcia slide home. Point Loma scored two more times in the extra frame as they took a 5-2 lead.
Down to their final three outs for the second time, the Cougars couldn't muster a rally as John Shurance came out the bullpen to earn the win with three straight outs.
