AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific earned a split against Hawai'i Hilo in a Saturday doubleheader at the Cougar Baseball Complex, using a late rally to take game one before falling in game two.
The Cougars showcased offensive firepower throughout the day, combining for 17 runs, but were unable to complete the sweep after an early deficit proved costly in the nightcap.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 11, Hawai'i Hilo 9
Azusa Pacific delivered one of its most resilient offensive performances of the season in the opener, rallying late to secure an 11–9 victory.
The Cougars struck first in the opening inning when Bryce Robinette scored on a wild pitch, but Hawai'i Hilo responded with a two run homer from Evan Merz in the third and added another run in the fourth to take a 3–2 lead.
APU answered in the third with a solo home run from Tyler Preece to even the score, setting the stage for a pivotal fifth inning.
After tying the game at 3–3 on a sacrifice fly, Isaiah Rios delivered the biggest swing of the game, blasting a grand slam to left field to cap a five run inning and give the Cougars a 7–3 advantage.
Hawai'i Hilo refused to go away, erupting for five runs in the sixth inning behind another home run from Merz and a run scoring triple from Braeden Mondeau to reclaim an 8–7 lead.
The Cougars responded once again.
Jacob Hayes tied the game in the seventh with an RBI single, and Azusa Pacific delivered the decisive blow in the eighth. Noah Lane tripled to spark the rally, Jacob Freer followed with an RBI fielder's choice, and Tyler Preece came through with a clutch two run double to give APU an 11–9 lead.
Andrew Miller closed out the final 1.2 innings, allowing no runs and striking out two to earn the win.
Robinette led the offense with three hits and four runs scored, while Rios drove in four and Preece added three RBIs as APU totaled 12 hits in the victory.
Game Two – Hawai'i Hilo 8, Azusa Pacific 6
The nightcap saw Hawai'i Hilo take control early and hold off a late push from the Cougars to secure the split.
Hawai'i Hilo opened the scoring in the second inning and then broke the game open in the third when Hunter Gatti launched a three run home run to make it 4–0. The Vulcans added four more runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a defensive error and timely hitting to stretch the lead to 8–0.
Azusa Pacific began to chip away in the fourth inning when Noah Lane drove in a run with a groundout, then cut further into the deficit in the fifth on a two run home run from Bryce Robinette.
The Cougars continued the comeback effort in the sixth when Lane connected on a solo home run, and Jacob Hayes added a two run homer in the seventh to bring APU within 8–6.
Despite the late surge, the Cougars were unable to complete the comeback as Hawai'i Hilo's bullpen held firm over the final innings.
Azusa Pacific finished with nine hits in the loss, including multi hit efforts from Robinette and Jacob Freer, but the early eight run deficit proved too much to overcome.
The Cougars will look to carry their offensive momentum forward as PacWest play continues with nationally ranked Point Loma.
