SAN DIEGO – After a Friday's doubleheader in which the starting pitchers help set the tone for the Cougar sweep, the theme continued on Saturday.
Each team took a contest as Azusa Pacific and Point Loma split the day's twinbill behind solid efforts from the bump. The Cougars won the four-game PacWest series with three victories as they upped their overall record to 34-8 while establishing a 21-7 league record heading into the final two series.
Before the penultimate series at Concordia next week, the NCAA releases the first of three regional rankings on Wednesday, April 26. The rankings will also be released the following two Wednesdays. The top six teams in the region will qualify for the championships which begin on May 18 at site that will be determined during the selection show on May 14. Azusa Pacific is expected to be among the top six in the first release.
In league play the Cougars and Dixie State are in the driver's seat to win a conference title. The teams meet the second week of May for it teams final PacWest series.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 11, Point Loma 3
Kale Morton was effective as he kept the home team's offensive output to minimal effectiveness as the Cougar bats showed their potency.
Azusa Pacific never trailed as the scored the first two runs in the second inning on a Nick Estrella RBI single and a Michael Franco run scoring ground out. In the third frame a Michael Staudinger base knock scored Pablo O'Connor to give the Cougars a three-run cushion.
Point Loma put together a threat in the third inning. A Ryan Garcia solo homerun was the only tally for the Sea Lions. They left two runners on base as Morton worked around the trouble. Azusa Pacific grew their lead to 7-1 after a four-run fifth frame as Mychael Goudreau, Quincy Quintero, Estrella and Franco each had an RBI.
The game was all but put away as Justin Gomez and Staudinger each hit solo homeruns in the sixth inning to give the Cougars a 9-1 lead. Point Loma scored a single run in the sixth inning then another in the seventh frame but Morton was effective before being lifted for reliever Kyle Murray in the seventh.
Azusa Pacific scored two more in the eighth inning as Adrian Tovalin hit a two-run long ball for his 15th homerun of the season. Point Loma completed the game's scoring with a single run in the final frame.
Morton earned the win to earn his fifth victory of the season by going 6.2 innings with three strikeouts. He was effect with runners on base as he worked around nine hits and three walks.
Game Two – Point Loma 6, Azusa Pacific 2
Kellen Sheppard was solid on the mound for the home team as the Sea Lion salvaged the final game of the series.
Azusa Pacific put themselves in great shape early with two runs in the second frame. Nick Estrella had an RBI base knock and Mychael Goudreau stole home plate to give the Cougars the early edge.
Point Loma took their first lead of the series as they scored six run in their portion of the inning. The Sea Lions sent 11 runners to plate as they scored their runs on six hits. In the process they chased Cougar starting pitcher Dillon Miyshiro.
From that point forward the pitchers were the story. There were two total hits between the squads in the third, fourth and fifth innings combined as Point Loma held their 6-2 edge. Azusa Pacific mounted a threat in the seventh inning as they pieced together two hits but couldn't muster a run scoring play.
Sheppard threw a complete game on 98 pitches as he struck out seven while allowing seven base knocks.
