AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific earned a split against No. 4 Northwest Nazarene on Tuesday at the Cougar Baseball Complex, opening the doubleheader with an 8–3 win before dropping the nightcap, 7–4.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 8, No. 4 Northwest Nazarene 3
The Cougars opened the day with a statement victory, knocking off the fourth-ranked Nighthawks behind timely hitting and strong pitching.
Azusa Pacific jumped ahead early with a three-run first inning. Tyler Preece doubled to drive in the first run before Jacob Hayes crushed a two-run home run to right-center, giving APU a quick 3–1 advantage.
The Cougars continued to add on, finishing with 14 hits and scoring in five different innings. Preece led the offense with a perfect 4-for-4 performance and two RBIs, while Noah Lane went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBIs. Diego Orozco delivered a key two-run home run in the fifth inning to extend APU's lead.
On the mound, Jack Tornero set the tone with four strong innings, striking out eight, while Tanner Herges earned the win after tossing four shutout innings in relief to close out the nationally ranked opponent.
Game Two – No. 4 Northwest Nazarene 7, Azusa Pacific 4
Northwest Nazarene bounced back in the nightcap, using early offense to claim a 7–4 win.
The Nighthawks plated six runs over the first three innings, capitalizing on extra-base hits and two home runs to build a cushion. Azusa Pacific was held scoreless through the first five innings before breaking through in the sixth.
APU sent nine hitters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring four runs to cut the deficit to 6–4. Isaiah Rios drove in a run with a single, while the Cougars used productive outs and aggressive baserunning to close the gap.
Northwest Nazarene answered with an insurance run in the seventh, and its bullpen shut the door to secure the split.
Inside the Box Score
- Tyler Preece went a perfect 4 for 4 in Game 1.
- The Cougars batted .378 in Game 1 then .215 in Game 2,
Game Notes
- Preece, Rios, and Hayes have reached base safely in all five games this season.
- Preece leads the squad with a .412 batting average through the first two series of year.
- Tornero's four innings was the longest outing in his APU and UCSD career.
