SEASIDE, Calif. — Azusa Pacific baseball lost game number two to Cal State Monterey Bay by a final score of 4-3 on Friday night. The Cougars last inning comeback wasn't quite enough to overcome its prior deficit.
How it Happened:
Both teams were locked in a pitcher's duel through the first five innings. The Otters starter tossed five scoreless innings to start the game, as did Cougars starter AJ Woodall.
In the top of the sixth inning, sophomore Gabe Ramos led things off with a single before he was pinch-run for my Max Tsai. Tsai would move to second on sacrifice bunt before he was singled in by Griffen Herrera with two-outs giving the Cougars a 1-0 lead.
Junior starting pitcher AJ Woodall who started 2020 with a career high nine strikeouts in his opening start on Friday, January 31 against Chico State, Woodall picked right back up where he left off. After allowing a single to the first batter he faced, Woodall wouldn't allow another hit in his 5.2 innings. After the leadoff hit, he then sat down the next 14 batters in a row. During that stretch, he produced six of his total seven punch outs. Woodall was on point once again, as he has now struck out 16 batters in 10.2 innings. Despite his success, Woodall did issue two walks in his final inning before handing the job over to senior John Szczesny with first and second and two outs. Unfortunately for Woodall and the Cougars a two-RBI tripled shortly after the pitching change gave the Otters a 2-1 lead. A passed ball scored another run a batter later increasing the Cougar deficit to two runs.
Szczesny bounced back in the seventh by striking out the side, he would strikeout five in 2.1 innings. The Otters however, added one more to their advantage in the inning to give themselves a more comfortable 4-1 lead going to the ninth inning.
In the ninth, the Cougars showed signs of life. After starting the inning with back-to-back singles, senior Eli Ledesma singled in a run to cut the Otter lead to 4-2 for his first RBI of the season. The captain, senior Nick Estrella, came up clutch off the bench singling in a run with a pinch-hit single. The next two batters would be retired as the Cougars would come up just a run short, losing 4-3.
The Cougars next game will be the third and final game of the series against CSUMB on Saturday, February 8. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.
