AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific defeated Concordia in grand fashion with an 8-5 win in game one, and 18-12 victory in game two. Joseph Kim and Casey Dykstra each hit a grand slam on the day, while four other Cougars hit home runs as well. 

In game one, the Cougars came back from a 3-1 deficit through the first four frames, something they had yet to do this season (0-6 when trailing after four innings). Kim's grand slam changed the game, giving the Cougars a 6-3 lead in the fifth. Korey Shepard was fantastic in relief, tossing 3.2 shutout innings to earn his first save of the season in the 8-5 win.

In game two, the Cougars offense unleashed 17 runs in the first three innings. In the five-run first, Omar Lopez (two-run HR) and Griffen Herrera hit back-to-back home runs to put the Cougars up 5-1. The Cougars used six singles to score four more in the second before Concordia's six-run third brought them within three runs, 9-6. But, the Cougars added eight runs in the bottom half which included a two-run homer from Osvaldo Tovalin before Dykstra followed it up later with the grand slam to put the Cougars up 17-7. The Cougars would go on to win the game 18-12 to complete the two-game sweep and grab hold of a 4.5 game lead in the PacWest Southern California Pod standings.

How it Happened (Game 1): Despite two walks, starter A.J. Woodall held the Eagles scoreless in the first while stranding both runners on base. 

The Cougars opened Friday's scoring in the bottom of the first on a Nick Estrella solo home run to deep left-field. Estrella is tied for the team lead in home runs with eight on the year.

After stranding two more in both the second and third innings, Woodall finally allowed Concordia to score. A successful double steal plated the first run in the third to tie the game while a pair of RBI singles in the fourth gave the Eagles a 3-1 lead after four frames.

With his pitch count over 100, Woodall made quick work of Concordia in the fifth with a a 1-2-3 inning on just five pitches to end his outing.

The Cougars carried the momentum into the bottom of the fifth. After a Dykstra double and back-to-back hit by pitches loaded the bases, Tovalin's sacrifice fly got the Cougars within a run. An intentional walk loaded the bases for clean-up hitter Joseph Kim who then drove in four with one swing. The go-ahead grand slam to the opposite field tied Kim atop the team home run chase with eight and was his first in more than two weeks.

Concordia fought back with a two-run sixth to make it 6-5, before the Cougars added insurance. Kim recorded his fifth RBI in the sixth with a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to make it 7-5. Before Aaron Roose picked up his third hit of the game with an RBI double down the left-field line increasing the Cougars' advantage to three runs.

Freshman Korey Shepard tossed the final 3.2 innings not allowing a single hit and retiring 11 of the 13 batters he faced. A walk and an error were his only blemishes as he recorded his first save of the season, and second of his Cougar career. In his longest outing of the season, Shepard punched out a season-high three including the final batter of the game to close out the 8-5 win.

How it Happened (Game 2): Despite trailing 1-0 after the first half-inning, the Cougars rallied for five runs in the bottom of the frame. After an RBI groundout from Kim tied the game, Evan Banks doubled in a run with two outs to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. Lopez followed with a line-drive home run to left-center field for his fifth of the season before Herrera's solo shot just two pitches later capped off the five-run frame. Four of the five were brought in with two outs.

After sending nine batters to the plate in the first, the Cougars lead grew with another big inning in the second. Back-to-back singles from Roose and Tovalin started the inning before four individual RBI singles plated four runs for the Cougars. Kim, Banks, Lopez, and Herrera each recorded one-apiece to increase the Cougars' advantage to 9-1.

The Eagles answered back with three home runs in the third off of starting pitcher Cory Dawson who was coming off back-to-back complete game shutouts over Biola and Point Loma.

With the lead down to 9-7, Azusa Pacific exploded for eight runs in the third inning. It was the third time the Cougars scored at least eight runs in an inning this season. Another RBI double off the bat of Roose brought the lead to three, before a Tovalin no-doubter to left field plated two more to make it 12-7. A pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for Herrera who walked to produce another run. With the bases still juiced, Dykstra sent a shot to right center for the Cougars' second grand slam of the day.

With a 17-7 lead, Concordia chipped away at the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth. Both runs were unearned for reliever Isaac Mendez after an error kept the inning alive. 

In the bottom of the fifth, Dykstra hit his second big-fly of the game down the right field line to double the Cougar lead to 18-9. Dykstra's two home runs put him one-back of the team lead with seven.

The Eagles' Jair Donovan then ripped a three-run shot to left field for the team's fifth home run of the game. But, Hayden Merda put the finishing touches on the victory with two strikeouts in 1.2 innings of shutout ball. 

With the sweep the Cougars improve to 20-6 on the season and 13-4 in conference action. Azusa Pacific has a 4.5 game lead in the PacWest over Concordia with seven conference games to play.

Inside the Boxscore

Long Gone Spring. The Cougars have hit 59 home runs this season and have an impressive team home run chase going on. Kim, Tovalin, and Estrella are all tied for the team-lead with eight on the season while Dykstra (7) and Roose (6) are on their tails.

.476 is the number Evan Banks increased his batting average to while going 5-for-8 at the dish today. He recorded two doubles, two RBI, and two runs scored in his two starts in left field and first base today. The same exact number Azusa Pacific Hall of Famer and current Arizona Diamondback Stephen Vogt hit in his 2007 senior season. Vogt helped the Cougars to an NAIA National Championship that season and recorded a ridiculous 1.362 OPS across the 61 total games.

Grand Gesture. Azusa Pacific has hit three grand slams this season, all at the Cougar Baseball Complex. Roose, Kim, and Dykstra each have one. The Cougars have scored more than four-runs in an inning 18 times this year, including four times across today's two-game set.

Magic Number 3. The Cougars are close to clinching another PacWest regular season title as their magic number is down to three. With a sweep of tomorrow's doubleheader the Cougars could be crowned PacWest Southern California Pod champions.

Up Next: These two teams will match up in Irvine, Calif. for another PacWest doubleheader Saturday, April 17th. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. while game two is scheduled to begin around 4:30 p.m. Follow along with live stats and live video here.