AZUSA, Calif. — The final day of the regular season at the Cougar Baseball Complex delivered everything you could ask for—dominance, drama, and a dose of redemption. Azusa Pacific split its season-ending doubleheader against No. 6-ranked Westmont, bouncing back from a humbling 10–0 loss in the opener to earn a walk-off 9–8 victory in a wild nightcap. The Cougars rallied late in front of their home fans, delivering a fitting finale to a season marked by resilience and growth.
Game 1: No. 6 Westmont 10, Azusa Pacific 0
The opener belonged entirely to Westmont, who showed why they're among the top teams in the nation. The Warriors exploded for six runs in the first inning, capitalizing on an early miscue and stringing together six hits, including back-to-back home runs from Jack Bollengier and Shane Hofstadler.
Azusa Pacific starter
David Hays (3–4) battled but struggled to contain the heart of Westmont's lineup. Bryce McFeely and Jesse Di Maggio each collected multiple hits and RBIs, while Hofstadler went 3-for-3 with a pair of homers and three runs driven in. Westmont piled up 15 hits in total.
Offensively, the Cougars were kept in check by Westmont ace Ryan Humphreys, who improved to 10–1 with six shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out eight. It had few scoring opportunities and left six men on base, unable to solve either Humphreys or reliever Caden Beloian.
It was a lopsided result that could have sent APU spiraling into the offseason, but the Cougars had other plans.
Game 2: Azusa Pacific 9, No. 6 Westmont 8
Fueled by pride and playing for their seniors, the Cougars stormed back in Game 2 with one of their gutsiest performances of the year, toppling a top-10 opponent in thrilling, walk-off fashion.
They jumped out to a 5–2 lead in the early innings, highlighted by
Jacob Hayes' two-run homer in the first and an RBI double from
Mikey Easter in the second. But Westmont wouldn't go quietly. The Warriors answered with a four-run fifth to grab a 6–5 lead and tacked on two more in the sixth, seemingly pulling away at 8–5.
That's when the fireworks really began.
After a leadoff single by
Keegan Rodin and a hit-by-pitch to Easter,
Elijah Morgan stepped up and delivered the swing of the season—an opposite-field three-run blast to tie the game at 8–8. The freshman outfielder, who entered as a pinch runner earlier in the game after a vintage
David Hays double, turned the moment into magic, sending the Cougar dugout into a frenzy.
Jake Vargas (3–4) closed the door in the top of the seventh with a dominant inning on the mound, striking out two to give them a chance for their storybook ending.
In the seventh, it kept the pressure on. With two men on and one out, Easter—who stepped to the plate for his final collegiate at-bat—lined a walk-off double into the outfield gap, scoring
Jacob Freer and completing the comeback.
Easter finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Morgan drove in three on his fourth home run of the season. Hayes added two RBIs, and
Will Medina contributed a key RBI double. On the mound, the Cougar bullpen of
Joel Tornero and Vargas held the line, giving the offense the room it needed to stage its rally.
Game Notes
Inside the Box Score
- APU and Westmont both went yard twice throughout the doubleheader.
- The Cougars batted 14-for-55 (.255 average) as a team across both games.
- The Warriors registered six errors to the Cougars 5.
Season Notes
- Eli Morgan finishes the season reaching base safely in his last 10 games.
- Cook and Hayes finish the season with 30-combined homers in PacWest play.
- Easter (64), Hayes (63), and Cook (60) all finish the season with 60 or more hits.
- Hays finishes his two-way career with a career .276 batting average and 237 strikeouts on the mound.
