AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougar softball team produced a dramatic final home date in this 2022 season, coming from behind in both halves of their Cornerstone Cup battle with Biola, winning the opener 3-2 before taking game two by a 6-5 final.

Game 1:  Azusa Pacific 3, Biola 2

The visitors struck first for an unearned run in the top of the third inning.  In the bottom half, Azusa Pacific struck back.  Erica Hanson singled with one out.  Two batters later, she would come around to score when Ally Chin lined a ball off the pitcher's glove and into center field.  Chin would take second on the play, then come around to score on an error herself, putting the Cougars ahead 2-1.

The game would remain at that scoreline until the top of the sixth, when Biola put runners at the corners with one out, forcing a pitching change on the Cougars' part.  A single to left plated the tying run, but Biola would be unable to do more, leaving the score knotted at 2-2 going to the bottom of the inning.  With one out, Amanda Woods singled into left field.  Woods then stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a bloop single from Sommer Quinones.  Biola would get two on with one out in the seventh, but Woods would calmly help turn a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.  Aly Montesino allowed one earned run over 5.1 innings as the starter, while Liz Phillips got her first win of the day in relief and Katie Korstrom picked up the save.  Hanson was the only Cougar with multiple hits in the early game.

Game 2:  Azusa Pacific 6, Biola 5

Biola struck for three runs while sending eight batters to the plate in the top of the second inning, putting the Cougars in an early hole and forcing another pitching change early.  The Cougars would begin to claw their way back into the contest with one out in the third when Madison Salgado hit her second career home run, a solo shot to left center.  Biola got that run right back in the top of the fourth by stringing three consecutive singles together.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Cougar seniors made their stand.  With one out, Salgado drew the Cougars' first walk of the entire doubleheader.  Hanson followed with a single to center.  After a fielder's choice left runners at first and second with two out, Chin singled to load the bases.  Montesino followed with another single that drove in a pair and cut the deficit to 4-3.  Dani Burghardt then drove a single into left to bring in the tying run.

With one out in the sixth, Aleah Delgado doubled into the gap in left center.  Salgado drew another walk, and the two runners were moved over via a Hanson groundout.  That brought Olivia Smith to the plate, who singled up the middle to bring in two runs.  Those would prove crucial as Biola put runners at 2nd and 3rd in the top of the second with one out, bringing in Sydnie Sahhar from the bullpen.  She allowed one run on a groundout, but induced another groundout to Burghardt to earn the save.  Phillips went 4.2 innings in relief to earn her second win in as many games, while eight different Cougars had a hit in game two.

By the Numbers: The Cougars went 3-1 against Biola this season.  It is the first time the Cougars have taken the season series from the Eagles since 2019.  Smith stole a base in both games, giving her a PacWest-best 27 this season.  The Cougars have 69 stolen bases as a team, the most since the 2018 squad swiped 77.  Woods hit her fifth triple of the season in game two, giving her as many three-baggers this season as the entire team hit in the 2021 campaign.  Azusa Pacific finishes the 2022 season with a 14-4 home record, including 13-3 against PacWest opposition.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (30-14, 18-8 PacWest) has six games left on the schedule, all on the road.  That trip starts with a four-game series in the Bay Area against Dominican, beginning with a doubleheader Friday.  Game one starts at 12:00 noon and can be viewed HERE.