LINCOLN, Calif. – The Cougars went up against the Jessup Warriors in a doubleheader at McBean Stadium. Despite a solid effort from the Cougars, the day ultimately belonged to Jessup, who secured victories in both matchups, taking Game 1 with a commanding 8-0 win and pulling away in Game 2 in a nail-biter, 10-9.
Game 1: Jessup 8, Azusa Pacific 0
The first game of the doubleheader saw the Cougs struggle to find their rhythm at the plate, while the Warriors capitalized early. Jessup came out with a methodical offensive approach, stringing together a series of timely hits to build momentum from the very first inning.
By the end of the third, Jessup had established a 4-0 lead, keeping consistent pressure on Cougar pitcher Gavino Rosales, who was forced to work from behind in the count on several occasions.
Despite five hits and several key infield plays, the Cougars couldn't convert their opportunities into runs. Jessup's pitcher, Hailama Swartman, kept Azusa's lineup off-balance with eight strikeouts over seven innings.
Jessup broke the game wide open in the fifth inning, putting up another four runs. Down 8-0 heading into the final two innings, Azusa tried to spark a rally, but the Warriors shut the door, sealing the shutout victory.
Game 2: Jessup 10, Azusa Pacific 9
The second game of the doubleheader brought a different energy from the Cougars, who came out swinging from the first pitch. Azusa Pacific wasted no time getting on the board as Dominic Martinex launched a 2-run homer over the fence, bringing in Mikey Easter, who had reached base with a single earlier in the inning. The early excitement set the tone for what would become a high-scoring and dramatic game.
The Cougs kept their momentum going into the second inning. Diego Frey kicked off the rally with a single, and Danny Yanez followed with a sharply hit double down the right field line, putting runners in scoring position. Although Jacob Freer grounded out at second, it was enough to bring Frey home. Allan Camarillo then delivered a sac fly to score Yanez and extend Azusa Pacific's lead to a strong 4-0 advantage.
However, Jessup responded. In the bottom of the second, the Warriors responded with a series of hits, including a double and a 2-RBI homer to shift the momentum. Jessup capitalized on the Cougars' brief defensive lapse and surged ahead with a five-run inning, taking the lead 7-4.
They followed up in the bottom of the third with an RBI single set up by a stolen base to push their lead to 8-4.
Azusa Pacific refused to back down.
In the top of the sixth, the Cougars exploded for a five-run rally. It started with Yanez reaching first on a Jessup fielding error, followed by a Freer single to left that moved Yanez around the bases and eventually across the plate. Camarillo added a single of his own, and Easter brought in another run with a groundout RBI. Antonio Lujan continued the rally with a base hit to the left, scoring Camarillo, and Martinez came through again with an RBI single to score Lujan. Jacob Hayes and Elijah Cook chipped in with key singles that helped tie the game at 9-9 by the end of the inning, threatening Jessup's lead.
The bats on both sides went quiet, pushing the game to extra innings. The Warriors were then left to strategically plan their next move. Jessup opened the bottom of the eighth looking for a walk-off, and they found it. After leading off with a double, the Warriors advanced the runner to third with a groundout. The next two Jessup batters were intentionally walked to load the bases. A final walk issued by APU brought in the game-winning run, and Jessup walked away with a narrow 10-9 victory to sweep the doubleheader.
Up Next: The Cougars will end their series with one final game tomorrow, Saturday, April 19th, at noon.
