AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific baseball started its 2020 campaign with an Opening Day doubleheader sweep of the Chico State Wildcats Friday afternoon. The Cougars relied on its veteran pitching staff allowing just one run in 16 total innings. The Cougars hit three solo home runs in the opening game, winning by a final score of 5-0 before managing to scratch two runs across in the second game winning 2-1 to come away with the sweep.

Junior outfielder Casey Dykstra drove in four of the six runs on the day for Azusa Pacific. Dykstra finished the first day going 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI single, an RBI hit-by-pitch and an RBI sacrifice bunt. 

How it Happened (Game 1): 

Senior captain Nick Estrella, donning his new #88 number, received the ball for the opening game of the Cougars season. Estrella started strong striking out three in the first two innings while stranding two Wildcats. After another two scoreless innings, head coach Paul Svagdis made the decision to keep him in for one more inning. 

"The plan was to throw him four innings, but his pitch count was down so we ran him out for the fifth (because) he's one of our best competitors," coach Svagdis said.

The Cougars then turned to its offense. Dykstra started the inning with a bang, taking the first pitch he saw yard to right center field giving APU a 1-0 lead. Junior catcher Aaron Roose followed suit just one batter later driving one over the left field fence this time. The back-to-back blasts doubled the Azusa Pacific lead to 2-0. 

The Cougars added two more runs in the sixth inning. Two walks sandwiched in between a hit to start the inning loaded the bases for sophomore Will Stroud. Stroud drove in a run with the third walk of the inning before Dykstra was hit by a pitch pushing the lead to 4-0 in favor of APU.

Senior outfielder Griffen Herrera then put the finishing touches on the victory with a solo home run to left in the seventh inning. 

Azusa Pacific turned to two newcomers to shut the door on the Wildcats over the final four frames. Transfer from Cal State Fullerton, Joe Wills impressed in his debut throwing two scoreless innings with a strikeout. True freshman Korey Shepard pitched the final two frames allowing no runs while retiring six of the seven batters he faced to finish the game.

How it Happened (Game 2):

Junior starting pitcher AJ Woodall, who led the Cougars in innings pitched a season ago, started his first game of the 2020 season just as well as Estrella in the earlier game. Woodall began the game striking out four of the first five guys he faced and struck out the side in the first frame. The only issue in his entire outing came against the sixth batter he faced in Eddie Zavala. Zavala hit a solo shot to left to give the Wildcats the early 1-0 lead in the second. 

The earned run didn't phase Woodall, however, as he proceeded to retire 11 of the next 15 batters he faced. A stretch that included five strikeouts in 2.2 innings setting a new career high nine strikeouts in a game to complete his five inning start.

Azusa Pacific battled back in the ballgame in the third frame once again. After a leadoff walk from true freshman Jeffery Castillo, who was making his first start in the game, the shortstop moved into scoring position on a balk just pitches later. Dykstra then singled up the middle to score Castillo knotting the game up at 1-1. 

In the bottom of the fourth inning, freshman first baseman Spencer Rasmussen walked to lead off the inning. Senior Max Tsai came in to pinch run for the freshman who was making his first collegiate start. Tsai stole second before tagging up and advancing to third on a deep fly out to right center. Castillo walked again setting the table for Dykstra who bunted up the first base side for the RBI which allowed Tsai to score on the sacrifice. Cougars take the 2-1 lead. 

The Cougars then turned to senior relief pitcher John Szczesny to close it out in the final two innings. The veteran did so, allowing two hits and punching out one Wildcat to record his first save of the season.

The Cougars received crucial contributions from a variety of veterans and newcomers in the two victories to start the 2020 campaign. Azusa Pacific and Chico State are set to complete the three-game series tomorrow at the Cougar Baseball Complex with one game beginning at 12 p.m.

Quotable:

Head coach Paul Svagdis on Casey Dykstra's performance today: "That's who we think he is and who we expect him to be. So it's really not a surprise to us and I think if he can have that mentality as a player then he is going to have a really good year," Svagdis said.