Box Score FRESNO, Calif. – The Cougars went out with a bang on Saturday, securing the series win over Fresno Pacific in an electrifying battle. With a 15-12 victory, Azusa Pacific improves to 18-16 in PacWest play and caps off the weekend with some serious momentum.
How It Happened: Fresno Pacific struck first with a run in the opening inning, but the Cougars responded immediately.
Jacob Hayes kicked off the second with a single, igniting a rally.
Elijah Cook and
Diego Frey followed with back-to-back singles, setting the stage for
Elijah Morgan's RBI knock to right field to bring in Hayes. Freshman
Jacob Freer then stepped up with an RBI double to left-center, scoring Cook and giving the Cougars a 2-1 lead.
The third inning proved pivotal. APU erupted for four runs, starting with walks from Antonio Lujan, Dominic Martinez, and Diego Frey to load the bases. Morgan delivered again with a two-RBI double to center, scoring Lujan and Martinez. Even after a Sunbird pitching change, the Cougars kept rolling—Freer singled to score Frey, and Camarillo's infield single brought Morgan home, making it 6-1.
The Sunbirds didn't go quietly. They rallied with three runs over the next two innings to narrow the gap to 6-5. But APU struck back in the sixth, thanks to a clutch two-RBI double from Elijah Cook that brought in Hayes and Mikey Easter, pushing the score to 9-5.
In the seventh, APU kept the pressure on. Dominic Martinez smashed a three-RBI double to send Camarillo and Freer home, while Hayes' infield single brought in Lujan for a 13-6 lead.
Fresno Pacific made it interesting in the eighth with a dramatic grand slam, cutting the deficit to 13-10. But once again, the Cougars answered. Singles from Martinez and Hayes opened the ninth, and Cook drove in another run. Frey and Morgan stayed hot with back-to-back singles to extend the lead to 15-9.
FPU threatened again in the bottom of the ninth, capitalizing on a few walks and a sac fly to close the gap to 15-12, but the Cougars held strong to seal the win with 15 runs on 20 hits.
Junior RHP Blake Hagerty, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio College, got the start and pitched three innings. APU cycled through the bullpen effectively, with Matthew Brock and Damian Pasillas recording key strikeouts. Pasillas earned the win, while Doug Pyle notched the save.
Up Next: The Cougars hit the road to Rocklin, California, to face a brand-new PacWest opponent: Jessup University. This will be the Warriors' debut series against APU, and the first pitch of the four-game set is slated for Thursday, April 17th, at 5 PM.
