AZUSA, Calif. – The fifth inning proved decisive in both games as Azusa Pacific and Northwest Nazarene split a twin bill at the Cougar Softball Complex Monday evening, with the Nighthawks winning the opener 9-3 before the Cougars stormed back in the second game, 7-1.
Game 1: Northwest Nazarene 9, Azusa Pacific 3
The scoring opened up in the third inning, as Northwest Nazarene put up runs on three consecutive plays. The home team would answer right back in the bottom half of the inning. Julia Olivares was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Two batters later, there were runners at the corners for Bella Fraser, who knocked a double into center field to drive home Olivares while advancing Sommer Quinones to third. Caitlin DeCanio would follow that up with a base hit up the middle to drive in two and level the score.
The game remained tied until the top of the fifth, when the Nighthawks loaded the bases with nobody out. Katie Korstrom, who had entered from the bullpen earlier in the inning, was able to get back-to-back strikeouts, but the visitors drew a bases-loaded walk and then got a bases-clearing double to take a four run lead, then tacked on two more runs in the seventh to complete the scoring. DeCanio and Quinones each had two hits in the game for the Cougars.
Game 2: Azusa Pacific 7, Northwest Nazarene 1
The Cougars jumped out to the lead just three batters into the game, as Fraser smashed a triple into the gap in right center to drive in Ally Chin. Korstrom followed that up with a single to double the lead. Korstrom was also the starting pitcher for game two and held the Nighthawks to just two hits while striking out nine batters over the first five innings, getting out of a bases-loaded jam unscathed in the third and allowing just one run in an identical situation in the fifth.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kinsey Erickson led off with an infield single. Two batters later, she was on third base with one out for Quinones, who laid a squeeze bunt down the third base line that scored Erickson to restore the two-run lead and force a pitching change. Fraser drew a walk, and Korstrom would follow with a two-run double to right center. Mia Alvarez followed that up with an RBI single and would herself come around to score on an Izzy Rivera groundout to plate a fifth run in the inning. Liz Phillips would throw a pair of scoreless innings to complete the victory.
POSTGAME INTERVIEW - GAME #2 - ALLY CHIN & KATIE KORSTROM
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (5-1) will wrap up their homestand tomorrow with a doubleheader against Colorado Christian. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m and both games can be livestreamed HERE.
