AZUSA, Calif. - Azusa Pacific and Point Loma put on a show for the fans on Thursday night at the PacWest Tournament, and it was the top-seeded Sea Lions that survived with a 10-7 win in 10 innings to advance to the championship round on Friday. The Cougars' season comes to a close, finishing with a 22-29 overall record. The Cougars made their sixth-consecutive postseason appearance with their participation in the PacWest Tournament.

How It Happened: Point Loma had opened up a 4-1 win through their first three innings at the plate, but the Cougars would even the score with a three run inning in the bottom half of the third. Cade Marshman led off the frame with a solo shot to left field,which was his ninth home run of the season, and then Will Medina and Spencer Rasmussen both delivered RBI singles to tie it up at 4-4.

After scoreless innings for both teams in the fourth and fifth, Point Loma regained the lead with a run in the top of the sixth, but the Cougars took their first lead of the game in the bottom half of the inning, as Mikey Easter was able to stay out of a double play to drive in the tying-run on a fielder's choice, and then Omar Lopez drove in Easter with an RBI single to put the Cougars ahead 6-5.

Entering the ninth inning, Azusa Pacific still clung to its 6-5 lead, but the Sea Lions were able to start the top of the ninth by drawing back-to-back walks. With one away, the baserunners were able to move up to second and third on a wild pitch, and just seconds later, both runners were driven in on a double that put Point Loma on top by a 7-6 tally.

The Sea Lions called upon James Sashin to secure the save in the bottom of the ninth, and while he retired the first two batters he faced, he could not get past Rasmussen, who crushed a ball into the nets in right field for a game-tying home run. It was Rasmussen's 10th home run of the season, and the 46th and final home run of his career, which ranks him top-five in program history. Rasmussen's heroics sent the game to extra-innings, where Point Loma would put up a three spot in the 10th inning. While the Cougars were able to get the tying-run to the plate in the bottom of the 10th, Sashin shut the door and left the runners stranded to earn the win on the mound.

By the Numbers: Several players turned in memorable efforts in their final games as a Cougar, as Lopez went 4-for-6 with a double and two RBI, Jeffrey Castillo went 3-for-4 and scored a run, Rasmussen finished 2-for-4 with two RBI, and Cameron Lee had a multi-hit game on 2-for-5 with a run scored and a walk. On the mound, Aidan Langley bounced back from some early trouble to go five and a third innings, striking out six hitters. Grayson Gifford took over for Langley in the sixth, and he turned in an inning of scoreless work. 

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