SAN DIEGO, Calif. — After trailing 7-1 through seven innings, Azusa Pacific mounted a two-out rally for the ages tallying three home runs in a six-run eighth to tie the game. But it would be Point Loma that retook the lead in the bottom of the inning before the Sea Lions escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth taking the game one thriller by a score of 8-7.

The Cougars will look to carry over their late-inning momentum into tomorrow where they will need to win both games to advance to the College World Series.

Will Stroud was the lone Cougar with multiple hits in the game including a solo home run in the first, while Jeffrey Castillo, Aaron Roose, and Tido Robles all homered in the big eighth inning.

Game One: Point Loma 8, Azusa Pacific 7

The Cougars broke through in the top of the first inning thanks to a solo home run from Stroud, his ninth of the season.

But Azusa Pacific didn't record another hit for six-plus innings as PacWest Player and Pitcher of the Year Baxter Halligan struck out 10 and didn't allow another baserunner in seven innings retiring 21 of the 22 batters he faced.

The Sea Lions tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the third inning but starting pitcher A.J. Woodall struck out his counterpart in Halligan to end the third with a pair of runners on to keep the game tied. Then in the 4th, Woodall dealt out of a bases-loaded jam getting a flyout and a foul out to keep it locked in a tie.

Point Loma broke the tie with a huge five-run fifth inning which featured five of the first six batters reaching via singles which brought in the first three runs. A wild pitch led to a sacrifice fly to make it 5-1 before a two-out RBI double capped off the inning to make it a five-run advantage for Point Loma.

David Wylie tossed two innings in relief for the Cougars and allowed just one hit, a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh giving the Sea Lions a 7-1 lead.

In the eighth, Omar Lopez was hit by a pitch to lead it off becoming just the second baserunner of the game for Azusa Pacific. Lopez came around to score on an infield hit that George Christison beat out with two outs to keep the rally alive. Castillo followed that up with a two-run home run to left field cutting the deficit to 7-4, his third of the season. Roose, the All-West Region first team catcher, continued to apply the pressure on Point Loma with an opposite-field solo home run, becoming the fourth Cougar to enter double-digit home runs this season. After a pitching change from Point Loma, Stroud singled up the middle before Robles took an 0-2 pitch the other way off of Second Team All-PacWest reliever Zachary Veen to tie the game at 7-all. All six of Azusa Pacific's runs in the eighth came with two outs.

Hayden Merda came in from the bullpen for the Cougars in the bottom of the eighth, after retiring the first two he faced, a walk and a single put runners on the corners with two down for the Sea Lions three-hole hitter in Halligan. The player of the year delivered with a bloop hit down the left-field line for an RBI double to give his team an 8-7 lead.

In the top of the ninth, Lopez singled through the left side to start the inning before Casey Dykstra was hit by his 27th pitch this season (T-3rd in Division II) to put the first two runners of the inning on. Casey O'Laughlin's sacrifice bunt moved the two runners over allowing the Sea Lions to intentionally walk George Christison to load the bases. The Cougars were unable to plate a run however as Cole Hillier (First Team All-PacWest reliever) tallied his 15th save of the season getting Castillo and Roose to both fly out to strand all three runners on and end the game.

By the Numbers: While it was the eighth time Azusa Pacific has hit four or more home runs in a game, it was just the second on the road this season, the other coming all the way back on February 19th in an 18-16 win over Cal State Monterey Bay. Lopez reached twice in the game upping his reached base streak to 10 games, the highest active mark for Azusa Pacific. Five of the seven hits came in the six-run eighth for the Cougars and more than half of their hits were home runs. Roose has now tallied double-digit home runs the past two seasons as the Cougars' leadoff hitter, tallying 12 a season ago and 10 so far this season.

Up Next: Game two of this best of three series will be the sixth time this season these two teams will meet as first pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. at Point Loma. The Cougars will be the home team in game two, while game three will follow (if necessary) 45 minutes after the end of game two. For live stats and/or live video of the action tomorrow click here.

Postgame Interview: Will Stroud, head coach Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Tido Robles