SAN RAFAEL, Calif. – Azusa Pacific took another step towards a possible NCAA regional playoff appearance, sweeping their second doubleheader in as many days against Dominican.  The Cougars took the opening game 2-0 before holding on for a 5-4 win in game two.

Game 1:  Azusa Pacific 2, Dominican 0

All the offense in game one occurred in the fourth inning.  Dani Burghardt singled up the middle on the first pitch of the inning.  That brought Amanda Woods to the plate, and the senior came through with her second home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field.  That proved enough for Aly Montesino, who did not allow a hit in the first three innings and struck out three over the first 4.1 before turning things over to Katie Korstrom.  The sophomore right-hander struck out three batters herself without allowing a hit over the final 2.2 to pick up the save.  Woods, Ally Chin, and Madison Salgado each had a pair of hits in the game for the Cougars.
 

Game 2:  Azusa Pacific 5, Dominican 4

Once again, Woods would play a role in getting the Cougars on the board, as she singled to lead off the second inning.  She advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and came around to score the first run on an Aleah Delgado single.  Delgado would in turn score on a bases-loaded hit by Chin.  The Penguins got a run back in the bottom of the third, but the Cougars would regain their two-run lead in the very next inning.  Delgado led off with a double to center field and would eventually score on an RBI groundout by Erica Hanson.

Dominican would even up the game in the bottom of the fifth, sending seven batters to the plate and driving in two.  The game would remain even until the top of the seventh.  Hanson led off with an infield single.  A sacrifice bunt attempt by Chin was thrown awry, putting runners at the corners.  With one out, Montesino drove in Hanson with an RBI groundout, and Burghardt would follow with a single to drive in Chin, putting the Cougars up 5-3.  That insurance run would prove crucial, as the Penguins would get back-to-back doubles down to their last out before Korstrom again came in from the pen to get the final out.  Liz Phillips struck out three over 4.1 to start the game, while Delgado led the offense with two hits and two runs scored.

By the Numbers:  Salgado became the 11th different Cougar to reach double digits in hits for the season.  Montesino and Korstrom's combined shutout in game one was the team's eighth of the season.  Azusa Pacific has now won 18 consecutive games against Dominican, a streak that goes all the way back to the 2015 season.  The Cougars have now won eight in a row and 22 out of 24 games, which should keep them well within the regional rankings when the second set are unveiled on Wednesday.

Up Next:  The Cougars (34-14, 24-6 PacWest) will close out the regular season with a pair of games at Concordia next Saturday.  The Eagles are currently occupying second place in the regional rankings.  The doubleheader will begin at 12:00 noon and can be streamed HERE.