AZUSA, Calif. – Despite four home runs, Azusa Pacific could not contain a steady offensive push from Hawai'i Pacific, falling 4-9 at the Cougar Baseball Complex on Saturday morning.

The Cougars responded to a two-run homer from the Sharks in the top of the second, putting up home runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Danny Yanez hit his first home run of the season, followed by freshman Jacob Freer, collecting his first career solo homer to even the score. Hawai'i Pacific responded and maintained consistent scoring through multiple frames, stretching its lead to 6-2. The Cougars attempted to claw back with another solo home run in the fifth by Antonio Lujan and another from Luke Denos in the ninth, but Hawai'i Pacific's bats proved too much to overcome.

At the plate, the Cougars collected 11 hits, including four home runs and four RBIs. On the mound, Azusa Pacific's pitchers struck out five batters over nine innings including three from reliever Damian Pasillas, but struggled to contain an aggressive Hawai'i Pacific lineup that racked up 11 hits.

Up Next: The Cougars look to rebound as they travel to Vanguard for a doubleheader on Thursday, Feb. 27 before returning to the Cougar Baseball Complex on Saturday to complete the four-game series.