AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific secured a series victory over Jessup on Saturday, splitting the doubleheader at the Cougar Baseball Complex with a dramatic 12–10 walk-off win in game one before falling 13–2 in the nightcap to take three of four games in the series.
The Cougars leaned on timely power and late-game execution to clinch the series before running into an early deficit in the finale.
Game One – Azusa Pacific 12, Jessup 10
Game one delivered one of the most dramatic finishes of the weekend, as Azusa Pacific erased multiple deficits and walked it off in the ninth.
After four scoreless innings, the Cougars broke through in the fourth when Jacob Hayes launched a two-run home run and Noah Lane followed with a solo shot to give APU a 3–0 lead.
Jessup responded with a six-run fifth inning, capitalizing on power and defensive miscues to flip the game and take a 6–3 advantage. But the Cougars answered immediately.
In the bottom half, Noah Lane delivered a two-RBI single, Jacob Freer followed with an RBI knock, and Isaiah Rios added another run-scoring hit to cap a four-run inning that pushed APU back in front 7–6.
The back-and-forth battle continued late, with Jessup tying and eventually taking a 10–10 game into the ninth inning.
That set the stage for Blake Hagerty.
After a leadoff baserunner sparked the inning, Hagerty stepped in and delivered the walk-off, blasting his second home run of the game to left field to seal a 12–10 victory for the Cougars. Hagerty finished with three RBIs, while Tyler Preece added three hits and Jacob Hayes and Noah Lane each drove in multiple runs in a 17-hit offensive effort for APU .
Andrew Miller earned the win in relief, closing out the final inning and completing the comeback.
Game Two – Jessup 13, Azusa Pacific 2
In the nightcap, Jessup jumped out early and never looked back to salvage the split.
The Warriors erupted for seven runs over the first two innings, highlighted by a three-run homer from Tony Otis in the first and a grand slam from Cody Antone in the second to build a commanding 7–0 lead.
Jessup continued to add on with home runs in the third and fourth innings, extending the lead to double digits as APU struggled to contain the offensive surge.
Azusa Pacific broke through in the sixth inning when Brody Sprinkle launched a solo home run, and Aeden Alexander added an RBI to plate the Cougars' second run. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as Jessup secured the 13–2 victory.
Isaiah Rios led APU with two hits, while the Cougars finished with seven total hits in the loss
