AZUSA, Calif. – The Cougars finally got to play at home this season, dropping the opening game against Cal Poly Pomona by a 9-5 final before shutting out the Broncos by a 3-0 score in the nightcap.

Game 1: Cal Poly Pomona 9, Azusa Pacific 5

Azusa Pacific ran into some trouble in the third when Cal Poly erupted for four runs on six hits, digging into the bullpen in the process.  The Cougars would climb back into the game in the bottom of the fourth inning.  Spencer Rasmussen led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a Cameron Lee double.  Lee would come around to score on an RBI single by Allan Camarillo, cutting the deficit in half.  The Broncos would respond immediately with a two-run homer in the fifth.

Azusa Pacific made another comeback effort in the sixth.  Camarillo walked with one out, and Jeffrey Castillo followed with a single.  Carson Collett came to the plate, and sent a 2-2 fastball over the fence in right field for a three-run home run, pulling the home team within one run.  Sadly, that was as close as the Cougars would get, as the Broncos put three more runs on the board in the top of the eighth to put the game away.  Lee had a three-hit game for the Cougars, while Cameron Kessel threw 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.

Game 2:  Azusa Pacific 3, Cal Poly Pomona 0

The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third.  Mikey Easter drew a one-out walk, and was still on first with two out when Rasmussen pulled a 1-2 offering over the wall in right for his second home run of the season, giving the Cougars their first lead of the series.  That would be all that starting pitcher Aidan Langley would need, as the freshman would allow just a single hit over 5.2 innings to earn his first collegiate win. 

Danny Yanez would add an insurance run in the sixth by drawing a bases-loaded walk, while Kohl Petersen retired four of the five batters he faced to pick up his first save of the season.

By the Numbers:  Lee reached base six times in the doubleheader, recording four hits – including two doubles – and three stolen bases.  The senior outfielder leads the team with a .429 batting average and has five of the team's six steals on the season.  Seven different pitchers made appearances on the day for the Cougars.  The two teams combined for only three hits in game two.  While the Broncos took three out of four this weekend, Azusa Pacific still leads the all-time series, 23-19-1.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific continues their non-conference schedule with a single game Tuesday evening against Cal State Los Angeles.  First pitch from the Cougar Baseball Complex is scheduled for 5:00 p.m., and the game can be live streamed HERE.