AZUSA, Calif. – Playing in front of their home crowd for the first time in two and a half weeks, the Azusa Pacific softball team got back to their winning ways, sweeping a doubleheader from Dominican in dramatic fashion, winning the opener 6-1 before pulling out an extra-inning thriller in the nightcap by a final of 5-4.

Game 1: Azusa Pacific 6, Dominican 1
The action started early as the first five Cougars reached base to start the game, with Amanda Woods driving in the first run on a grounder that bounced off the shortstop, and Jenna Gorman following that up with a bunt single that also plated a run to put the Cougars up 2-0.  Woods would follow that up with an RBI bunt single of her own in the fourth that extended the lead to 3-0.

Dominican would answer back in the top of the fifth without the benefit of a hit, scoring as a result of two walks, a sacrifice bunt, and a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to two runs.  But in the sixth, the Cougars responded with three more, with Olivia Smith, Woods, and Gorman each driving in a run.  Smith and Emily Moran each had three hits for the Cougars, while Kat Ung threw a two-hit complete game to pick up the victory.

Game 2: Azusa Pacific 5, Dominican 4 (9 innings)
The scoring started in the bottom of the second when Ashley Kincaid tripled home Makeila Laulu.  The Cougars would add another run in the third when Michaela Fonoti hit a single to left with the bases loaded.  Dominican would score twice in the fifth to tie it up and set the stage for some late inning fireworks.

With two out and the bases empty, Moran stepped up and hit a long fly ball to left center that appeared to graze the fence as it made its way over for her second home run of the season.  Smith drew a walk, stole second, and scored on a single by Woods to again hand the home team a two-run lead.  But down to their final strike, Dominican rallied with back-to-back hits, driving in two on a two-out double by the catcher Celeste Salas.

The Cougars had a chance to win it in the bottom of the seventh, but Laulu was thrown out attempting to score on a shallow fly ball to end the inning.  The game would continue into the ninth, when the Cougars would put runners at the corners with one out.  Fonoti would hit a ground ball to third, and the throw home would not be in time to prevent Woods from scoring the game-winner.  Elizabeth Phillips went the distance, striking out six to earn the win.

The Cougars are now 9-12 overall, 5-7 in conference play, and expect to play the remaining two games of this series with Dominican on Monday, March 16, at 4:00 p.m.  In between, weather permitting, they will host Notre Dame de Namur in a four game series that is scheduled to start on Friday, also at 4:00 p.m.