IRVINE, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific and Concordia split the Friday doubleheader, with each team's offense showing out in the two games. The Cougars are now 23-13 on the season and are 12-6 in PacWest play.
Omar Lopez had a perfect day at the plate going 5-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored, while A.J. Woodall tossed a season-high eight scoreless innings, earning the win, his fifth of the season.
How it Happened (Game 1) - Azusa Pacific jumped out to an early lead in the first game. George Christison got the Cougars rolling by drawing a walk, then four consecutive singles gave the Cougars a 3-0 advantage. Casey Dykstra kept it going with two outs, singling to left field to plate Omar Lopez and make it 4-0 in the first.
In the second inning, the Cougars posted another run when Casey O'Laughlin hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Aaron Roose. The momentum carried into the fourth as Roose scored on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Lopez plated Christison.
Another sacrifice fly by Will Stroud made it 7-0 in the sixth inning.
The Eagles posted a run in the seventh inning, but that was all they could get across as the Cougars plated two more via a single by Stroud in the eighth and Daniel Genna scoring on a wild pitch in the ninth. The Cougars offense proved strong as the final score of game one was 11-1.
Woodall tossed a season-high eight innings, recorded eight strikeouts, and allowed no walks in one of his best performances of the season while Roose and Lopez each tallied three hits in the win.
How it Happened (Game 2) - Opposite from the first game, it was Concordia that jumped on the board first, scoring four runs through the first three innings.
Azusa Pacific found their way on the scoreboard in the fourth, then scored four more runs through the next two innings via three RBI singles from Lopez, David Hays, and Tido Robles which tied the game at 5-apiece.
The Eagles broke it open in the seventh inning, scoring eight unanswered runs including a grand slam to give them a 14-5 advantage. The Cougars could not respond, as Concordia posted a few more runs, with the final score being 17-6.
By the Numbers: Woodall has now pitched 18 consecutive innings without allowing a walk. With five hits on the day, Lopez improved his season batting average to .341 and Tido Robles continues to lead the team in hits with 47 and is ranked second in the PacWest with RBI at 39. The Cougars now sit at second place in the PacWest standings, only one game behind Point Loma.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific will be back at home tomorrow for another conference doubleheader against Concordia. Game times are set for 12:00 and 3:00 p.m. If you cannot attend, you can follow the livestream here!
