AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific continued to keep things rolling the right direction early in the season.
The Cougars swept a doubleheader from Cal State San Bernardino on Thursday afternoon to run their winning streak to four games and up their record to 5-1.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 8, Cal State San Bernardino 5
Each time the visitors took the lead in the early innings, the Cougars responded before pulling away for the win. The Coyotes scored in the opening frame on a Lucas Martinez RBI single. Less than 10 minutes later Pablo O'Connor blasted his fourth homerun of the season with a two-run shot over the leftfield wall.
Tyler Van Marter put Cal State San Bernardino back in front with a two-run, two-out base knock in the third inning. Trailing 3-2, Azusa Pacific put three runs on the scoreboard in their half of the stanza. Mychael Goudreau nailed a big fly over the rightfield wall which scored Cam Bennett. Moments later O'Connor scored an unearned run after an error on the first baseman to give his team a 5-3 edge.
After the Coyotes scored a single run in the fifth frame, Azusa Pacific added to their lead with three runs. Nick Estrella and Sean Aspinall provided the critical base knocks with an RBI single and a two-run double respectively in giving the Cougars an 8-4 edge.
The final four innings moved along swiftly. Cal State San Bernardino scored the final run of the game when Austin Lundeen hit a solo homerun in the eighth inning.
Dillon Miyashiro worked the final 4.0 innings to earn the save. The righthander struck out four and allowed just Lundeen's hit. Billy Oxford moved to 2-0 by throwing 5.0 innings where he struck out five in a 76-pitch effort.
At the plate O'Connor went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and driven home. Goudreau also had a two-hit contest.
Game Two – Azusa Pacific 7, Cal State San Bernardino 2
Similar to the first game, the Coyotes scored the first run in the opening frame but Azusa Pacific rallied immediately.
UC San Bernardino loaded the bases in the first but crossed the plate just once when Tyler Van Marter scored on a fielder's choice. Azusa Pacific scored three times in the initial frame. They loaded the bases as well and chased Coyote starting pitcher Graham Kuck in the process. Mycheal Goudreau scored on a bases loaded walk then a Nick Estrella sacrifice fly and Sean Aspinall base knock gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
Azusa Pacific got a sacrifice fly from Aspinall in the third stanza to increase their advantage to three runs. The Coyotes put together a rally in the fourth inning as they loaded the bases with one out. Cougar starting pitcher Kyle Murray worked out of the situation with minimal damage. After inducing a groundball out at home plate, Cal State San Bernardino crossed the plate via an A.J. Duran RBI single. Murray struck out Austin Lundeen to end the threat with just one run scored.
In their portion of the fourth inning, Brian Magana hit a solo homerun to get the Cougars run back. Azusa Pacific made their lead 7-2 at their next opportunity when Magana singled home Estrella and an Aspinall base hit allowed Adrian Tovalin to score in the fifth frame.
Aspinall's 2-for-2 contest lead the Cougars. He also drove-in three runs. Magana's two hits also gave him two RBI.
Murray gets his first win in a Cougar uniform after going 5.0 innings and dancing around seven hits while striking out five.
