OAKLAND, Calif. — Azusa Pacific baseball defeated Holy Names 8-5 and 12-2 in Saturday's doubleheader to complete the four-game conference sweep of the Hawks. The Cougars have now won eight straight games, all coming in PacWest play to improve to 14-10 overall and 9-3 in conference.
The Cougars' offense was led by transfer Casey O'Laughlin who drove in four on the day and hit two home runs in game two. George Christison continues to stand out for Azusa Pacific as he hit the go-ahead two-run homer in the seventh of game one while leadoff hitter Aaron Roose tallied a pair of hits in both games.
How it Happened (Game 1): Christison got the scoring started in game one as he forced the issue stealing second allowing Roose to score from third on the throw. O'Laughlin doubled the lead (literally) with his extra-base hit down the rightfield line.
The Cougars would add to the lead in the second as Roose singled in the third run before David Hays drove in the fourth to make it 4-0.
The Hawks got back into it in the middle innings scoring all four runs in the fourth and fifth against starting pitcher Steven Silvas.Â
All tied up at 4-apiece, Christison unloaded on his first home run of the season to right center to give Azusa Pacific a two-run lead.Â
Holy Names cut the deficit to one after a solo home run off reliever Isaac Mendez to make it 6-5 heading into the eighth frame. The Cougars would tack on a pair of runs thanks to an error from Holy Names before Mendez would close it out to secure his second win of the season. He tallied four innings in relief, allowing just one earned run while striking out a pair.
How it Happened (Game 2): The offense wasted no time once again in game two, as O'Laughlin opened the scoring with a two-run home run to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead. Jeffrey Castillo would drive in the third run before Roose drove in the fourth with a run-scoring double to make it 4-0 (once again) in favor of Azusa Pacific. Christison would cap off the three-run second with an RBI single to increase the advantage to five.
The Hawks tallied one in the second before O'Laughlin's solo homer in the third sparked another three-run frame. Hays doubled in a run to make it 7-1 before Castillo got one of his three hits in the game driving in another for the Cougars. Tido Robles got in on the action with a two-out RBI single to up the advantage to 9-1.
Another Hawks run made it 9-2 before Azusa Pacific scored the game's final three runs in the seventh inning. A Spencer Rasmussen walk with the bases loaded scored the first run before Tyus Santa Anna singled in the second to make it 11-2. Finally, Cade Marshman's sacrifice fly gave the Cougars a double digit lead where they would win, 12-2.
By the Numbers: After a 3-for-9 day at the plate, Christison now leads the Cougars in batting average on the season at .351. O'Laughlin's two home runs on the day boosted his total to six, tying him for the team-lead with Robles. The Cougars are now 22-6 all-time versus Holy Names and improved their record to 6-6 on the road against the Hawks (16-0 at home). Through 14 road games this season, the Cougars are 12-2 so far including series wins against Cal State Monterey Bay, Academy of Art, and Holy Names.
Up Next: The Cougars will host rival Biola in a doubleheader this upcoming Friday, March 25th at the Cougar Baseball Complex. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. watch the game for free here, or follow along with live stats here.
