AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific had a dominant doubleheader sweep of Chapman on Wednesday night, winning via the mercy rule in game one, 9-1 (five innings), and then earning a 10-3 victory in the nightcap. Brielle Fraijo was a perfect 5-for-5 over the two games, with five runs scored, one RBI, one triple, and a perfect 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts.

GAME ONE: Azusa Pacific 9, Chapman 1 (5 innings)

Aly Montesino (6-4) pitched all five innings for the Cougars, allowing just one earned run on six hits, while striking out four hitters. While Montesino allowed baserunners in all but one inning, she did a great job of avoiding damage and left six Panthers stranded on the base paths.

The Cougars got the scoring going in the bottom half of the second inning, when Carley Gay reached with a bunt single, and Aleah Delgado drove her in with an RBI single down the left field line. While Chapman was able to tie the game at 1-1 by scoring a run in the top of the third, Azusa Pacific brought three runs in to score in the bottom of the third. Fraijo led off the Cougars' half of the third with a single to center field, and then she stole second base to get into scoring position with no outs. Whether she was on first or second base was ultimately irrelevant, as Montesino was second to the plate in the inning and she crushed a two-run home run to dead center field that gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead. A few hitters later, pinch runner Maddi Hamilton scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1.

After Montesino held the Panthers scoreless in the top of the fourth, Azusa Pacific's offense put up a crooked number for the second consecutive inning, bringing in four runs during the bottom of the fourth. The first run of the inning came on Fraijo's triple that scored Julia Olivares, and then Fraijo was promptly driven in by an RBI double from Montesino. With the score 6-1, the Cougars capitalized on an infield-RBI single from Becca Jewett that ultimately allowed Hamilton and Montesino to both score and grow the margin to 8-1.

Chapman was unable to score in the top of the fifth inning, setting the Cougars up with an opportunity in which just one run scored would enact the mercy rule. Azusa Pacific wasted little time in ending the game, as Ashley Kincaid led off the fifth with a double to left-center, and then she was the game-winning run after she was driven in by way of a Delgado double that made it 9-1.

Montesino finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Delgado and Fraijo each went 3-for-3. Delgado also had two RBI in the game. 

GAME TWO: APU 10, Chapman 3

Liz Phillips pitched six scoreless innings in game two, surrendering one hit and striking out six batters that she faced. Phillips pitched the first and second inning, Grace Brown came on in relief in the third inning, and then Phillips returned for the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. Phillips is now 2-2 on the year, with a 1.89 ERA over 44.1 innings.

In the bottom of the first, Gay and Fraijo drew back-to-back walks to get into a two-on, no out situation for Montesino. Montesino capitalized, driving Gay in from second on an RBI single to right field. The Cougars got two more in the inning off of Chapman's mistakes, as two wild pitches allowed Azusa Pacific to take the 3-0 lead. 

Phillips sat the Panthers down in order during the top of the second, and then the Cougars added three more in the bottom of the frame. The first run came on a Fraijo single to right field, which advanced Gay to third but then an error by the right fielder allowed Gay to score as well. Fraijo ultimately scored the second run of the inning when Jewett hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-0. The inning ended 6-0, as Keelie Koepp hit a ball off of the fence for an RBI double that scored Olivia Smith.

The Panthers showed some signs of life in the third, scoring three runs on three hits and one error to make it 6-3, but that was the closest that Chapman would get.

Azusa Pacific would score its final four runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by another RBI double from Koepp that banged off the wall for a near home run. The other RBIs came from Jewett, who was credited with a SAC fly RBI that plated one, and then an error on the same play scored a second run, and Kincaid hit an RBI double that scored the Cougars' 10th run of the nightcap.

In game two, four Cougars had two hits (Gay, Fraijo, Koepp, Kincaid), and both Gay & Fraijo scored three runs. 

By the Numbers: The Cougars tormented the Chapman catchers all day, stealing nine bases (9-for-9) over the two games. At the plate, Azusa Pacific had 25 total hits in the doubleheader, while the Panthers had just 10 hits. The Cougars also put the pressure on the Chapman defense to record outs, as Azusa Pacific's hitters struck out only once in each game.