SAN MARCOS, Calif. – Playing its first true road games of the season, Azusa Pacific came up short against Cal State San Marcos, dropping the opener 4-3 before losing the back end by a 3-0 score.

Game 1:  Cal State San Marcos 4, Azusa Pacific 3

The Cougars struck early in the afternoon.  With two out and a runner on first, Dani Burghardt drove a 3-2 fastball over the fence in right for the team's first home run of the season, giving the visitors a quick 2-0 lead.  But having played an extra-inning game when these teams faced off last week, holding onto that lead would be no easy task.  Starting pitcher Aly Montesino got out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom half of the inning with a routine ground ball to second base.  San Marcos would tie the game back up in the second thanks to a couple of infield errors.  San Marcos would take the lead in the home half of the third thanks to a timely two-out hit.

The game would remain 3-2 until the top of the fifth, when the top of the Azusa Pacific lineup struck with two outs.  Amanda Woods doubled, then advanced to third on an Olivia Smith infield single.  The two then executed a double steal, with Woods taking home to tie the game at 3-3.  However, another two-out hit in the bottom half of the fifth allowed San Marcos to retake the lead.  Azusa Pacific got the tying run to third base with two out in the sixth, but left a pair of runners on base and were unable to mount a threat in the seventh.  The team stole four bases in the opening game.  Burghardt and Smith each had a pair of hits to lead the offense, while Liz Phillips allowed just one run over 3.1 innings in the circle.

Game 2: Cal State San Marcos 3, Azusa Pacific 0

The late game started quietly, with neither team threatening in the first inning.  In the second, game two starter Sydney Sahhar got out of a jam by inducing a ground ball to first that Izzy Rivera turned into an unassisted double play.  The contest remained scoreless, with the teams combining for just three hits through the first three innings.  Azusa Pacific had their first decent scoring opportunity with a pair of two-out singles in the top of the fourth, but San Marcos got the third out without any damage done to the scoreboard

In the bottom half of the fourth, San Marcos opened the inning with a triple down the right field line, followed by another single to finally break the scoreless tie.  San Marcos would tack on a pair of runs in the sixth with yet another pair of two-out hits, and while Amanda Woods would lead off the seventh with a pinch-hit triple, the Cougars were unable to pull any closer.  Azusa Pacific got five hits in the game from five different players, while Sahhar needed just 28 pitches to get through the first three innings, going the distance in the circle.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (3-4) heads home for the first time this season, as it hosts Cal State San Bernardino in a doubleheader Saturday.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 noon.  Both games can be seen for free on the Azusa Pacific Athletics Network