AZUSA, Calif. – Opening Day at the Cougar Softball Complex saw both teams leave with a claw mark in the win column, as the visiting Colorado State-Pueblo Thunderwolves won the opening contest 7-5 before Azusa Pacific walked off the nightcap in extra innings, 1-0.

Game One: Colorado State-Pueblo 7, Azusa Pacific 5

The Thunderwolves struck early, scoring three runs in the first two innings without the benefit of a hit, scoring thanks to some walks, an error, and a wild pitch in the first inning, then a double steal attempt in the second.  The Cougars struck back in the third.  Sommer Quinones led off the inning with a single.  Two batters later, she scored on a Sierra Sandoval single, putting runners at the corners with nobody out.  A second run scored on a throwing error.  Izzy Rivera would cap off the rally with a two-out RBI single to tie the game at 3-3.

That respite would be short-lived, as the Thunderwolves pounced in the top of the fourth, putting four more runs on the board and necessitating the Cougars' second pitching change of the day.  The Cougars would cut the deficit in half in their half of the fourth inning, courtesy of a two-out, two-run homer to right by Caitlin DeCanio.  Unfortunately, that was the last serious threat the Cougars mustered, as Pueblo's pitching staff allowed just one base runner the rest of the contest.  DeCanio, Sandoval, Rivera, and Hailey Burns each had two hits in the game, while Ava Hernandez threw 3.1 scoreless innings in the circle to keep the game close.

Game Two:  Azusa Pacific 1, Colorado State-Pueblo 0 (8 innings)

Game two was a pitchers' duel worth the price of admission, as Mia Castillo and her CSU-Pueblo counterpart traded zeros on the scoreboard for the entirety of regulation.  The Thunderwolves got two hits in the first inning, but had one runner thrown out trying to steal second.  The Cougars got two hits in the second, leaving runners at second and third with one out.  After that, nobody reached base again until the sixth.  Pueblo got single hits in both the sixth and seventh innings, but neither was able to advance beyond first base as Castillo struck out four.

The eighth inning saw the "ghost runner" rule come into play, as each team starts extra innings with the last batter from the previous inning on second base.  Castillo needed just three pitches to retire the side in the eighth, eliminating the ghost runner via a fielder's choice, then inducing a ground ball double play.  The Cougars started the bottom half with Rianna De La Barcena on second, and she was sacrificed over to third, bringing up Rivera.  The senior first baseman laced a 2-0 offering into right field for a walk-off single.  Rivera's most recent walk-off hit was a single in the 2023 West Region playoffs over Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (3-3) continue their home stand on Thursday when they host Northwest Nazarene in a doubleheader.  First pitch for game one is set for 4:00 p.m.