AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific beat #12 Colorado Mesa by a 7-6 score in the first of two games between the two teams scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. With the win, the Cougars improve to 5-9 overall. Mikey Easter came up big for the Cougars, going 3-for-4 at the plate and delivering a huge game-saving defensive play in right field.

The Cougars took a quick 2-0 lead off of a two RBI double by Spencer Rasmussen in the top of the first inning, scoring Easter and Cade Marshman who each had a hit to open the game. The Mavericks would knot it back up with a two spot in the second inning, but an RBI double by Cameron Lee and an RBI single from Marshman gave the Cougars the lead right back in the bottom of the second.

Scoreless innings of work in the top of the third and fourth by reliever Alfredo Frey allowed Azusa Pacific to increase the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth, as Easter hit an RBI double and Marshman added another RBI single. In the third and fourth innings, Frey sat the Mavericks down in order.

In the fifth inning, Colorado Mesa pulled within a run at 6-5, following a solo home run, an error by the Cougars, and a bases loaded walk that brought home a run in the top half. In the bottom half, the Cougars added a run of breathing room, as Easter picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly. The score would remain 7-5 until the seventh, as Tyler Herges pitched a scoreless top of the sixth for the Cougars.

In the top of the seventh, Mesa led off with a double and the Cougars handed the ball over to Matthew Brock. Brock would walk the first two hitters he faced, loading the bases with no outs. After Brock got a huge first out by way of a strikeout, the Mavericks made it 7-6 after drawing the third walk of the frame. With the bases still loaded and one away, Zachariah McCorvey was called upon to keep Colorado Mesa from tying or taking the lead. McCorvey did just that, with a huge assist from Easter in left field. McCorvey was able to force the first hitter he faced to hit a fly ball to Easter in right field. Easter, who was making his first appearance in right this season, not only caught the ball for the second out, but he also gunned down the tying run at the plate to ensure that the Cougars would head to the bottom of the inning with the lead still intact.

McCorvey shut the Mavericks down in order in the eighth, and Jake Vargas secured the win by striking out the first two batters of the ninth, before forcing a game-ending groundout to third base.

Frey earned the win on the mound for the Cougars, pitching two and two thirds innings and allowing just one earned run. Aisea Ahokovi, Brock, McCorvey and Vargas all had scoreless relief appearances. 

Easter not only saved the day with his arm in right field, but he also finished 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs and two doubles. Marshman also finished with three hits, going 3-for-5 and bringing home two RBI and scoring a run. Lee and Allan Camarillo also had multi-hit performances for the Cougars. On the base paths, both Marshman and Lee had a stolen base.

Up Next: The two teams close out the quick series with a single game tomorrow at 1:00 pm in Azusa.