AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific opened its four game series against Jessup in dominant fashion Friday, sweeping the doubleheader at the Cougar Baseball Complex with a 15–5 win in game one followed by a dramatic 12–11 walk-off victory in the nightcap.
The Cougars combined for 27 runs on the day, showcasing both offensive firepower and late game resilience to secure both ends of the twin bill.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 15, Jessup 5
Azusa Pacific broke open a tight game with two explosive innings to run away with the opener.
After Jessup struck first on a solo home run in the opening inning, the Cougars answered in the second when Aeden Alexander doubled home Jacob Freer to even the score. The game remained tight until the fifth, when APU seized control.
Blake Hagerty delivered an RBI single to give the Cougars the lead before Jacob Hayes delivered the biggest swing of the game, crushing a grand slam to right center to cap a five run inning and put Azusa Pacific ahead 6–1.
Jessup attempted to claw back with a three run seventh inning to trim the deficit to 6–5, but the Cougars responded emphatically.
Azusa Pacific erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the seventh, capitalizing on timely hitting and Jessup pitching struggles to put the game out of reach. The Cougars finished with 13 hits and 14 RBIs in the opener, highlighted by Hayes' five RBIs and multi hit performances from Hagerty, Freer, Alexander and Isaiah Rios.
On the mound, Joel Tornero set the tone with five strong innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight. David O'Neill closed out the final two innings as APU secured the 15–5 victory.
Game Two – Azusa Pacific 12, Jessup 11
The nightcap turned into a back and forth slugfest, and the Cougars delivered the final swing.
Jessup jumped out early with a two run homer in the second inning and added another run in the third to take a 3–0 lead. Azusa Pacific responded in the third with two runs, then took its first lead in the fourth on a two run home run from Diego Orozco.
Momentum swung again in the fifth inning when Jessup erupted for five runs to reclaim an 8–4 advantage.
But once again, the Cougars answered.
Azusa Pacific matched that surge with a four run fifth inning, highlighted by RBI contributions from Jacob Hayes, Noah Lane and Caleb Velo, along with a run scoring double from Orozco to tie the game at 8–8.
Tyler Preece gave APU the lead in the sixth with a solo home run, and the Cougars added another run to extend the lead before Jessup made one final push in the seventh, scoring three runs to tie the game at 11–11.
That set the stage for the finish.
In the bottom of the seventh, Isaiah Rios delivered the walk-off, driving in the winning run to cap the comeback and secure the 12–11 victory for Azusa Pacific.
Edwin Segovia earned the win in relief, striking out four over the final two innings to keep the Cougars within striking distance before the offense delivered.
