AZUSA, Calif. -- The tropical rain of Hawai'i never felt so good.

The soft, steady mist gave Azusa Pacific an energy boost as the Cougars embraced the conditions and rallied for three runs in the ninth inning of the second game of a 5-3, 3-2 doubleheader sweep at Hawai'i Hilo Monday night at Francis Wong Stadium on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

The Cougars started and finished the day's action with three-run innings, giving Game 1 starter Isaiah Carranza an early lead to protect in the opening-game win before the offense put together three runs on Grant Gamble's two-run single and Tim Lichty's run-scoring groundout for the eventual winning run in the ninth. Kale Morton earned the save in his first pitching appearance since March 2.

The sweep ended a 15-day layoff in the middle of the Pacific West Conference schedule for Azusa Pacific, which improved to 29-3 overall and 19-3 in conference play. Hawai'i Hilo is now 12-18 overall and 8-14 in the PacWest.

How It Happened (Game 1): The Cougars jumped out to an early 3-0 lead before the first out was recorded, as Pablo O'Connor's RBI single was followed by a two-run single from Sean Aspinall. Phil Steering answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the first for Hawai'i Hilo, cutting the lead to 3-1, but Azusa Pacific maintained at least a two-run cushion the rest of the way.

Steven Garrett delivered a two-out RBI single in the third inning to extend the lead to 4-1, and three innings later Nick Estrella hit a leadoff double and scored on Mychael Goudreau single to center to give the Cougars a 5-2 edge in the sixth inning.

Carranza picked up the victory, scattering a pair of runs on four hits in five innings of work to improve to 8-0 on the season, and Hayden Jorgenson picked up a save after surrendering a single run in the seventh while striking out three in four strong innings of relief.

How It Happened (Game 2): Hawai'i Hilo dropped in a squeeze bunt for the game's first run in the bottom of the fifth inning, as leadoff hitter Kyle Yamada placed his bunt just beyond the reach of Azusa Pacific starting pitcher Layne Henderson along the first-base line. In the seventh inning, the Vulcans added a run on a bases-loaded wild pitch to extend the lead to 2-0.

Hawai'i Hilo starting pitcher Dylan Spain kept the Cougars off the scoreboard with six shutout frames, surrendering four hits with no walks and four strikeouts before turning the game over to the bullpen. With one out in the ninth inning, Osvaldo Tovalin deposited a single to left field, and Aspinall was hit by pitch to put runners at first and second.

After a brief delay to improve rain-soaked areas on the pitcher's mound and home plate, Austin Russ was hit by pitch to load the bases for Gamble. After a pitching change, Gamble delivered the game-tying hit with a single to center field, just out of the reach of Vulcans second baseman Mana Manago. Lichty's groundout to second base brought pinch-runner Isaaiah Patrick in from third for the go-ahead run.

Morton took care of the rest, retiring the first two hitters he faced before Jonathan Segovia singled to right to keep the game alive for Hawai'i Hilo with the Vulcans' leading hitter Steering at the plate. However, Morton got Steering to pop up the first pitch into right field to finish off the victory.

What's Next: Azusa Pacific takes on Hawai'i Hilo again on Tuesday for another doubleheader at Francis Wong Stadium in Hilo, wrapping up the first four-game series of the Cougars' eight-game road trip to Hawai'i.