AZUSA, Calif. – Playing against Holy Names for the final time, Azusa Pacific took a big step towards qualification for the first-ever PacWest softball tournament, sweeping the Hawks by finals of 3-2 and 7-0 Tuesday evening at the Cougar Softball Complex.

GAME ONE:  AZUSA PACIFIC 3, Holy Names 2

Game one was close throughout, with the Cougars jumping out to an early lead. Kinsey Erickson led off the game by reaching on an error, and was at third with two out for Katie Korstrom, who launched a two-run shot into the parking lot beyond left field.  It was the third consecutive game in which Korstrom has hit a home run, giving her seven on the season.  Those runs would be crucial, as Holy Names would tie the game up with a pair of runs in the top of the second off starter Liz Phillips.

Erickson would lead off the third with a single.  After a groundout advanced her to second base, Izzy Rivera drove her in with a double down the left field line.  From there, each team would get exactly one runner on base in every half inning; no more, no less. 

Phillips went six innings, scattering six hits and two walks, while Sydnie Sahhar worked around a one-out walk to throw a scoreless seventh and pick up her first save of the season.

GAME TWO:  AZUSA PACIFIC 7, Holy Names 0

The Cougars started off the nightcap with a bang.  Carley Gay hit a one-out double.  Rivera singled her over to third, and a walk by Korstrom loaded the bases.  Caitlin DeCanio belted an 0-1 pitch into the right center gap for a three-run triple.  DeCanio would then score on an error to give the Cougars a 4-0 lead after the first inning. 

Gay would be the next to add to the lead in the fourth when she hit a ball into left center that just eluded two Hawk defenders and rolled to the fence for an inside-the-park home run, her first of the year.  The following inning, Korstrom hit a double and was still at second with one out when DeCanio slugged the Cougars' sixth home run of the series, again over the wall in left to stretch the lead to 7-0. 

Korstrom threw five shutout innings before turning things over in the circle to Samantha Pagan, who put a pair of zeros up on the scoreboard to complete the shutout.

By the Numbers:  Korstrom's seven home runs on the season are the second most in the conference and more than five other PacWest teams have hit this season.  DeCanio had four hits and five RBI across the two games and was a double shy of the cycle in game two.  The game two shutout was the Cougars' tenth of the season.  The Cougar pitching staff has allowed just eight runs over the past eight games.  As a team, Azusa Pacific raised their batting average by seven points over the course of the four-game series.  

Playoff Implications:  The Cougars' 7-1 record against Dominican and Holy Names have moved them into third place in the PacWest standings with four games remaining.  The top four teams at season's end will advance to the first-ever PacWest tournament, to be held at Biola May 3-5, with the winner receiving the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (29-19, 17-11 PacWest) will head down to Biola for a critical Cornerstone Cup doubleheader against the Eagles (25-18, 17-9), who are just ahead of them in the standings.  First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 noon.