FRESNO, Calif. - The winner of the first-ever PacWest Baseball Tournament will be back to defend its title, as Azusa Pacific beat Fresno Pacific in a pair of road games on Thursday to secure its spot at this year's tournament, which will be played in Azusa. The Cougars took game one by an 8-5 score, and then rolled the Sunbirds in game two by an 18-3 score. Azusa Pacific is now 20-26 overall and 15-14 in PacWest play. 

GAME ONE: Azusa Pacific 8, Fresno Pacific 5

The Cougars jumped out to a 4-0 lead over the first two innings, as Omar Lopez and Jeffrey Castillo hit RBI doubles in the top of the second, while a two-out RBI single from George Christison added the third run of the frame. 

Isaac Mendez was on the hill to start the game for the Cougars, and he held Fresno Pacific scoreless over the first four innings. In the fifth, the Sunbirds were able to bring two across, and in the bottom of the sixth, Fresno Pacific pulled within a run at 4-3 following a leadoff home run in the inning. Mendez would keep the Sunbirds from tying or taking the lead in the game in the sixth, and he was replaced by Grayson Gifford in the top of the seventh. Mendez' final line was three runs on seven hits, and he struck out five batters. 

After a scoreless seventh inning for both teams, the Cougars added some much-needed cushion to their lead in the eighth, by way of several Sunbird defensive miscues. Azusa Pacific was able to score four runs on just one hit in the frame, as Fresno Pacific committed three errors to give the Cougars an 8-3 advantage. While the Sunbirds answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, Kohl Petersen pitched a scoreless bottom of the ninth for the Cougars to secure the victory.

Danny Yanez reached base safely in each of his four trips to the plate, as he went 3-for-3 with a double and drew a walk. Christison also had a multi-hit game with a double and a single.

GAME TWO: Azusa Pacific 18, Fresno Pacific 3

The Cougars wasted no time grabbing control of game two, as the visitors put up eight runs in the top of the first. After the first three hitters of the inning reached base safely, Spencer Rasmussen, Yanez and Lopez drew three-consecutive bases-loaded walks to make it 3-0 Cougars. Diego Frey made it 5-0 after he singled up the middle to score Rasmussen and Yanez. With two outs and runners at the corners, Christison delivered an RBI single to increase the Cougar lead to 6-0. The final two runs of the first came on a double from Cameron Lee, who drove in Christison and Frey.

While Gavino Rosales held Fresno Pacific scoreless over the first three innings, the Cougar offense worked the advantage up to 11-0 behind a solo homer from Lopez and two more runs scored in the third. 

Frey delivered his third RBI of the game in the fourth, as his RBI single made it 12-0 Azusa Pacific. The Sunbirds would score a run in the bottom of the fourth and two more in the fifth. The Cougar bats exploded once again in the sixth, as they drove in six runs. Tyler Durbin was called on to pinch-hit with one out and the bases loaded, and he responded with a bases-clearing double down the left field line that scored three runs. With two outs and two on, Rasmussen piled on more damage to Fresno Pacific, as he launched a three-run home run down the right field line for his eighth home run of the season. Rasmussen, Lee and Lopez all share the team-lead in home runs at eight each.

Rosales earned the win on the mound for the Cougars, as he threw five innings and allowed just two earned runs of five hits. Michael Padilla pitched two scoreless innings of relief work, as he allowed just two hits and struck out two batters in the sixth and seventh.

Rasmussen and Frey each went 3-for-4, with Rasmussen driving in four RBI and scoring three runs, while Frey had three RBI and three runs scored. Lee was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.

Up Next: The Cougars will host Fresno Pacific on Saturday (April 27) for a doubleheader starting at noon. It will also be the final regular season home games for 18 seniors, as the group will be honored in a ceremony after the second game of the doubleheader. The ceremony will be streamed live on the Azusa Pacific Athletics Network as well.