AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific swept Redlands in a doubleheader on Thursday evening, allowing the Cougars to improve to a 12-8 overall record this season. 

GAME ONE: Azusa Pacific 8, Redlands 0 (5 innings)

The Cougars mercy ruled the Bulldogs in game one, behind a dominant performance from pitcher Liz Phillips and a pair of four run innings offensively. Phillips went four innings, allowing just two hits and striking out three batters. Phillips earned the victory, and is now 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA over 33.1 innings thrown. Katie Korstrom came on in relief for the top of the fifth inning, recording the final outs via a 6-3 double play. 

Azusa Pacific's offense was ready from the get-go, putting up a four spot in the bottom of the first inning. Before an out was even recorded by the Bulldogs, the Cougars had a 3-0. After Amanda Woods, Brielle Fraijo, and Aly Montesino started the inning off with three consecutive singles, Becca Jewett stepped to the plate with the bases loaded. She delivered the first runs of the game, hitting a two-run single down the right field line to make it 2-0. The Cougars increased the lead to 3-0 on an RBI single from Olivia Smith, and then added the fourth run of the first when Erica Hanson drew a bases-loaded walk. 

The Cougars turned in another big inning in the fourth, highlighted by home runs from Aleah Delgado and Jewett. Delgado was first to the plate in the inning, as the true freshman catcher hit her first collegiate home run on a 2-0 pitch that she skied out to left field for a no-doubter that made it 5-0. Hanson was next in the order, as she hit a single to reach first with no outs. She was able to advance to second on a fielder's choice, and then was part of a double steal with Fraijo to reach third with just one away. Hanson was the Cougars' sixth run of game one when she crossed home on a throwing error, and then Fraijo made it 7-0 when she scored on a fielder's choice hit by Montesino. With two outs, Jewett launched the Cougars' second home run of the third, driving the ball well over the fence in left field to make it 8-0.

Jewett finished a perfect 3-for-3 in game one, with 3 RBI. Dani Burghardt also had a multi-hit game for the Cougars, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Hanson went 1-for-1, with two drawn walks, an RBI and one run scored. Azusa Pacific had 11 total hits in game one.

GAME TWO: Azusa Pacific 3, Redlands 1

While the bats might not have been as hot in game two, timely runs and another shutdown performance in the circle clinched the two-game sweep. Montesino took the ball for the Cougars in game two, and as she has done on five occasions so far this season, she went more than six innings without surrendering an earned run. She pitched 6.1 innings, surrendering three hits while striking out five. Montesino earned the victory, while Korstrom came on in relief for the second consecutive game, earning her first collegiate save. Montesino is now 5-3 on the season, with a 1.48 ERA over 66.1 innings thrown.

The Cougars struck first in the bottom of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead, as Burghardt was able to tuck a ball inside the right field foul pole for her PacWest-leading fifth home run of the season. While the Cougars threatened to score on a few occasions in the middle innings, it was the sixth inning where needed insurance finally came. 

While the first batter of the inning popped out, Jewett had a one-out single, followed by Burghardt drawing a walk, and then Annie Gutierrez being hit by a pitch to load the bases for Keelie Koepp. Koepp capitalized on the opportunity with an RBI infield single to make it 2-0. Ally Chin was next to the plate for the Cougars, as she also delivered on the bases-loaded, one-out situation, sending a pitch back up the middle for an RBI single to make it 3-0. The runs would be more than enough insurance for Azusa Pacific, with Redlands only scoring a single run in the top of the seventh to end the contest.

By the Numbers: Azusa Pacific hit three home runs over the two games on Thursday evening, and the Cougars now sit at a PacWest-leading 14 long balls as a team. The Cougars went 16-for-46 (.347) at the plate for the day, while the pitching staff held the Bulldogs to a batting average of .184 (7-for-38). Defensively, Azusa Pacific committed just one error over the 12 innings of play.