AZUSA, Calif. –  Back on their home ground for the first time in over two weeks, Azusa Pacific took a few innings to get going, but outlasted Biola 7-6 in the opening game of their four-game set at the Cougar Baseball Complex before comfortably taking game two by an 11-2 score.

Game One:  Azusa Pacific 7, Biola 6

The opening contest was a pitchers' duel in the early going, with neither team able to put a dent in the scoreboard through the first four innings.  In the fifth, Biola struck first with a three-run homer.  Azusa Pacific would claw their way back into the game in the bottom half.  Omar Lopez and Allan Camarillo hit consecutive RBI doubles to pull the home team within a single run.

The score would remain 3-2 until the next time Lopez batted in the 7th.  Cade Marshman and Carson Collett had led off the inning with consecutive hits to put runners at the corners.  Lopez hit a slow roller to short that brought in Marshman on a fielder's choice to tie the game.  Camarillo and George Christison hit back-to-back singles to load the bases.  Lopez came in to score on a wild pitch, and with two out Mikey Easter would provide valuable insurance, tucking a three-run shot of his own just inside the right field pole, making the lead 7-3.

Those runs would prove critical, as Biola scored two runs in the eighth and one more in the ninth to pull within a run, but Jake Vargas got a game-winning strikeout with the tying run on third base to end the game and collect his third save of the season.  Easter and Camarillo each had two hits to pace the Cougar offense, starting pitcher Isaac Mendez struck out eight batters in five innings, and Kohl Peterson was credited with the win after tossing a scoreless seventh inning.

Game Two:  Azusa Pacific 11, Biola 2 (7 innings)

After spotting Biola a run in the top of the first, the Cougar bats roared to life.  Cameron Lee hit a one-out solo home run to tie the game, the first of six hits for the Cougars in the inning.  Danny Yanez came up with two runners on and knocked an RBI single.  Marshman followed with a two-run triple to right to make it 4-1.  Three batters later, Camarillo would provide the exclamation point on the inning with another three-run homer, this one sailing over the fence in left and giving the home team a 7-1 lead and forcing a pitching change before the first inning was even over.

Yanez would add another RBI single in the fourth to make it 8-1.  After Biola got another run in the top of the sixth, the Cougars responded in the bottom half of the inning.  After a walk and a hit by pitch, Spencer Rasmussen came up with two on and clubbed his team-leading fifth home run of the season over the right-field fence, providing the final margin.  Gavino Rosales threw 5.2 innings while holding Biola to just four hits to pick up the win.

Up Next:  Azusa Pacific (9-15, 4-5 PacWest) have secured at least five points towards this season's Cornerstone Cup with the sweep on Friday.  One more win will secure five more valuable points, and the Cougars will have two chances to do so as the Cougars and Eagles will play another doubleheader on Saturday.  First pitch at the Cougar Baseball Complex is scheduled for 12:00 noon.