SAN FRANCISCO – For just the second time this season, the Cougars had to settle for a doubleheader split.
After winning the first game of their PacWest doubleheader with Academy of Art, Azusa Pacific fell in the nightcap in extra innings. In Azusa Pacific's nine doubleheaders so far this season, they have swept seven of them.
Heading into the series finale tomorrow, the Cougars record now stands at 25-4 overall and 12-3 in league games. All four loses have come by a single run.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 8, Academy of Art 1
A steady effort on the mound and at the plate was the formula in winning the opening contest. The Cougars never trailed in claiming their 10th straight win.
The top of the line-up set the table as Mychael Goudreau went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI from the lead-off spot while Pablo O'Connor followed him from the No. 2 slot with a two-hit, two-RBI contest.
On the mound the right arm of Billy Oxford went seven solid innings by scattering eight hits and striking out seven in his 102-pitch effort. Hayden Jorgenson came out of the bullpen for the final six outs; three of which came via a punch out.
In the second frame the Cougars pieced together three runs on four hits. Quincy Quintero's RBI groundout started the scoring then Cam Bennett and Goudreau each had RBI singles to extend the lead. Academy of Art scored their lone run in the bottom half of the inning when Cameron Jones's base knock scored Taylor Martin.
Sean Aspinall gave Azusa Pacific back their three-run cushion in the third stanza with a sacrifice fly. The combination of Goudreau and O'Connor accounted for the final runs as each hit a double which scored a single run then a pair respectively.
Game Two – Academy of Art 4, Azusa Pacific 3
Despite forcing extra innings, the Cougars fell short as their winning streak came to an end.
Academy of Art took a first inning lead on an Evan Ray leadoff homerun. The Cougars potent offense shrugged aside the early deficit when Michael Staudinger solo homerun in the second inning. They took the lead in the next frame when Cam Bennett scrambled home on a wild pitch.
In the fourth inning the home team took a 3-2 edge on Izac Bauer's second homerun of the season. His two-run long ball to leftfield kept the Urban Knights in front until the final stanza. Staudinger started the seventh inning in fine fashion as he launched a 2-1 pitch to right centerfield. The hit was the Cougars first since the third frame.
In the bottom of the seventh and top of the eighth each team went quietly until Academy of Art ended the contest in their portion of the eighth. After back-to-back singles to start the inning, Taj Dawson reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Cougar reliever Mitch William induced a fly out for the first out but the contest's came to a close on the next batter when Michael Maleski scored on a wild pitch.
Luke Lacy was solid on the mound in claiming the win. He went all eight innings and allowed four hits and struck out five.
Staudinger went 2-for-4 to lead the Cougars offense.
