AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific won a pair of non conference bouts against Holy Names Thursday afternoon, winning 9-3 in game one, and 10-2 in game two. Aaron Roose boosted the Cougar offense with a solo home run and a grand slam in the first game before going yard again for a two-run home run in game two. With his second grand slam of the season and first multi-home run game of the year, Roose drove in a total of seven runs across the two games.

Starting pitchers A.J. Woodall and Cory Dawson each did their part in the two games. Woodall tied his season-best with eight innings and 10 strikeouts. He allowed just one earned run and improved to a perfect 7-0 on the season. Dawson pitched his third complete game of the year in the nightcap allowing two runs, just one earned, and punching out four in his fifth victory of the year.

With the two wins the Cougars improved to 27-8 on the season and will look to win the series against Holy Names tomorrow.

How it Happened (Game 1): In the top of the first inning, Griffen Herrera made an unbelievable catch in left center to end the first frame in 1-2-3 fashion for Woodall. The Cougar defense continued to excel, notching back-to-back unconventional double plays to end the second and third innings. With the runner trying to steal second base with one out in the second, Woodall struck the batter out while Roose completed the "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play to knab the runner trying to steal second to end the inning. Then in the third, a Holy Names baserunning mistake allowed the Cougars to double off their runner at first on a routine fly ball to right field for another double play that would end the inning. 

Then Evan Banks led off the fourth inning with a solo home run that cleared the nets in left field. His fifth home run of the season gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead. Roose then doubled the lead just an inning later with a solo shot to left field of his own.

Woodall retired nine of the 10 batters he faced from the fourth through the sixth innings, while striking out three, to keep the Cougars in front 2-0.

The Cougars offense broke it open in the bottom half of the sixth. Omar Lopez led off with a double before pinch-hitter Will Stroud reached on a bunt single that moved Lopez to third. Casey Dykstra singled in the first run of the inning with a ground ball that snuck through the right side of the infield before Brett Soria walked to load the bases. Roose stepped to the dish and crushed his second grand slam of the season to left field to give the Cougars a 7-0 advantage. His second home run of the game was his ninth of the season and his first multi-homer game of his collegiate career. Joseph Kim added an RBI double to cap-off the six-run sixth frame to put the Cougars up 8-0.

Woodall allowed a solo home run in the seventh before striking out two and working around a pair of Cougar errors to end his outing after eight innings of work. His 10 strikeouts and eight innings were both tied for season-highs while he also has a team-best 7-0 record.

Herrera added a sacrifice fly to make it 9-1 through eight innings before the Hawks scratched across two in the ninth to make the final score 9-3.

How it Happened (Game 2): After losing his 34-game reached base streak in the first game, Osvaldo Tovalin homered down the left field line to open the scoring in the first. His team-high 13th homer of the season was his sixth long ball in the last nine games. Dykstra singled in another run later in the inning to put the Cougars up 2-0 after one.

With a pair of 1-2-3 innings to start his outing, Dawson finally allowed a couple of baserunners in the third. A sacrifice fly with the bases loaded scratched across the first run before a Kim error allowed the Hawks to tie the game at two-apiece.

The Cougars didn't relinquish the lead for long, as Soria gave Azusa Pacific a 3-2 lead with a solo home run to left centerfield. Three of the four long balls Soria has hit have come in the last three series against Concordia, Point Loma, and Holy Names. The Cougars increased their lead to 5-2 with a throwing error from Holy Names. Dykstra drove in another with a groundout before Nick Estrella added his team-high 18th two-out RBI of the season with a double down the left field line. Dykstra was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first to end the inning but the Cougars five-run fourth put them in control 7-2.

Dawson doubled his punch out total with a pair in the top of the fifth before Roose drove in two more with his third home run of the game to left field. Roose became the second Cougar to enter double digits in the home run category this season with the blast that made it 9-2 after five.

A two-out RBI double from Soria in the sixth gave the Cougars an eight-run advantage before Dawson closed out his third complete game of the year with three fly outs to right field.

With the 10-2 win in the nightcap and the sweep of the doubleheader, the Cougars improved to 27-8 on the season.

Up Next: The Cougars and Hawks will face-off in a two-game doubleheader Friday, May 7th at the Cougar Baseball Complex. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. while game two will begin around 2:00 p.m. Senior Day will immediately follow the two games and can be watched online here.