IRVINE, Calif. – Azusa Pacific was swept by #12 Concordia Saturday afternoon, as the Cougars lost by an 8-6 final in game one, and then fell 3-1 in the second game.
 
Game One: #12 Concordia 8, Azusa Pacific 6
 
In the first game of the day, Azusa Pacific battled but came up short. Concordia held a 2-0 lead through four innings, but the Cougars tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth inning as senior Racqual Espinoza hit a two-run homerun.
 
Concordia would quickly respond, as the Eagles scored three runs in the bottom half of the fifth inning off of a three-run homerun from Amanda Gjertsen that gave Concordia a 5-2 lead. In the top of the sixth, the Cougars cut the deficit down to 5-3, as junior Emily Moran had an RBI double. However, Concordia's offense kept rolling, as the Eagles put up another three run inning in the bottom of the sixth to extend the lead to 8-3.
 
In the top of the seventh, Espinoza kicked things off with her second homerun of the game, as she hit a solo shot to make the score 8-4. Following two straight outs, the Cougars were down to their final out. Azusa Pacific would not go down quietly, as freshman Dani Burghardt walked. Freshman Olivia Smith pinch ran for Burghardt, and Smith came around to score in the ensuing Cougar at-bat, as senior Melanie Abzun had an RBI double to make it 8-5 Concordia. With Abzun on second, sophomore Amanda Woods hit an RBI double that made it 8-6. Unfortunately, Azusa Pacific was unable to score another run in the inning.
 
Four Cougars had two hits in the game, as Abzun, Moran, Espinoza and senior Cayla Broussard helped lead the Cougar offense. Espinoza finished the game with a team-high three RBIs. Despite her strong offensive effort, Espinoza took the loss as she pitched 5.2 innings for the Cougars.
 
Game Two: #12 Concordia 3, Azusa Pacific 1
 
In game two, both starting pitchers, Azusa Pacific's Kat Ung and Concordia's Erika Morris, got off to solid starts, as the game was scoreless after three and a half innings. However, Concordia would break through in the bottom of the fourth, as the Eagles scored two runs off of two hits to take a 2-0 lead.
 
After a scoreless top of the fifth, Concordia would add another run in the bottom of the fifth to make the score 3-0. Azusa Pacific's lone run came in the bottom of the sixth inning, when junior Daniella Toschi doubled to start the inning and then scored on a wild pitch a few batters later.
 
Ung took the loss in the game, as she went six innings, allowing three earned runs on eight hits, while registering two strikeouts. Offensively, the Cougars were only able to get two hits in the game, as Moran had a single in the top of the fifth inning that extended her hitting streak to 10 games.
 
Up Next: Following Saturday's doubleheader, Azusa Pacific sits at 30-16 overall, with a 21-10 PacWest record. The Cougars will close out the regular season with a doubleheader against Biola on Thursday, May 2, starting at 4:00 p.m. The games will be the final time that four Cougars seniors play at the Cougar Softball Complex, as Melanie Abzun, Racqual Espinoza, Megan Mejia and Cayla Broussard will all be honored following the conclusion of game number two on Thursday.