AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific opened the home portion of its 2026 schedule with a pair of hard-fought losses to Cal Poly Pomona on Saturday at the Cougar Baseball Complex, dropping a high-scoring doubleheader despite a historic offensive moment in the opener.
Game One – Cal Poly Pomona 21, Azusa Pacific 13
The Cougars produced one of the most memorable offensive innings in program history during game one, launching
four consecutive home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. The stretch marked an
NCAA-era program record and finished
one home run shy of tying the Division II record set by Alabama Huntsville in 1998.
After Cal Poly Pomona jumped out to a 13–0 lead through the first four innings, Azusa Pacific answered emphatically.
Jacob Hayes,
Isaiah Rios,
Tyler Preece and
Jacob Freer each went deep on four straight pitches to ignite the Cougars' offense and cut into the deficit.
APU continued to chip away throughout the afternoon, scoring in five different innings and finishing with
14 hits and seven home runs as a team. Rios powered the lineup with
two home runs and three RBIs, while Freer added
two homers of his own. Hayes, Preece and Alex Alexander also left the yard as part of the Cougars' offensive surge.
Despite the rally, Cal Poly Pomona's early damage proved too much to overcome, as the Broncos totaled 21 runs on 19 hits, highlighted by six home runs and a nine-RBI performance from Jack Sanders.
Game Two – Cal Poly Pomona 9, Azusa Pacific 5
The nightcap stayed tight into the middle innings before Cal Poly Pomona pulled away late for a 9–5 victory
Elijah Morgan sparked the Cougars offensively, driving in
four runs on a two-hit performance that included a three-run home run in the fourth inning to give APU a brief lead.
Isaiah Rios and
Jacob Freer also crossed the plate multiple times as Azusa Pacific remained within striking distance for much of the game.
Cal Poly Pomona regained control in the eighth inning with a three-run frame and added two more insurance runs in the ninth to secure the sweep. APU's pitching staff limited the Broncos to six hits through the first five innings, but late extra-base hits ultimately decided the contest.
