SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Azusa Pacific split a doubleheader Saturday afternoon winning game one 8-4 before falling in game two by a score of 2-1.

The Cougars three home runs by Tido Robles, Nick Estrella, and Omar Lopez drove in seven of the eight runs in the first game. None more important than Lopez's first career grand slam in the seventh inning that extended the Cougars lead to 7-2.

In the second game, Estrella tossed six frames allowing just two earned runs but was outdueled by Point Loma's, Dylan Miller who threw a complete game and allowed just one run.

Azusa Pacific has won three consecutive PacWest series, sweeping Biola before taking three of four from Concordia and Point Loma the previous two weeks.

How it Happened (Game 1): The Cougars scored first in the third inning on a pinch-hit solo home run from Robles, his first of the season. Azusa Pacific added two more in the frame as Estrella hit his fifth homer of the year to left-centerfield. His two-run shot gave the Cougars an early 3-0 lead. 

After stranding a pair of Sea Lions in each of the first three innings, starter Brendan Dixon gave up a two-run home run in the fourth. Dixon then allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases before the Cougars turned to freshman Isaac Mendez out of the bullpen. Mendez struck out Brett O'Toole in a 10-pitch at-bat with the bases juiced to keep the Cougars out in front 3-2.

Neither team scored until the seventh when Osvaldo Tovalin started the rally with a walk. Estrella then moved him to third with a double down the left-field line before Griffen Herrera walked to load the bases. With three ducks on the pond, Lopez sent a blast into the Pacific Ocean for his first collegiate grand slam increasing the Cougars' lead to 7-2.

The Sea Lions chipped away with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to 7-4 before an Aaron Roose sacrifice fly in the eighth inning doubled the lead to 8-4.

The Cougars bullpen didn't allow a run in the final two frames to close out the victory. Freshman Hayden Merda tossed two scoreless innings and was awarded the victory. While fellow freshman Korey Shepard closed out the game with back-to-back strikeouts with the tying run at the dish to win 8-4. 
 

How it Happened (Game 2): With the series already decided, the Cougars and Sea Lions finished the series with a pitcher's duel similar to the second game of Friday's doubleheader. The difference being the fact that Point Loma jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the first. The Sea Lions then doubled their lead in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to left field. That was all the damage starting pitcher Estrella allowed as Point Loma only had two hits off of him in six innings of work.

Unfortunately, those two runs would be enough to outlast the Cougars as the southpaw Miller for the Sea Lions threw seven frames of one-run ball. The Cougars offense only mustered two baserunners in the first five innings of the game.

Miller's only blemish came in the seventh inning when Evan Banks took him yard to right-center to cut the deficit in half. A Casey Dykstra double put the tying run into scoring position but Miller closed it out with a groundout and a three-pitch strikeout to cap off the 2-1 win.

With the road split, the Cougars improve to 17-4 on the season and are still atop the PacWest standings with a 10-2 conference record.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific will host rival Biola on Friday, April 9 in a PacWest doubleheader at the Cougar Baseball Complex. The first pitch for game one is scheduled for 12 p.m. while game two is scheduled to start around 3 p.m.