AZUSA, Calif. — Azusa Pacific honored its senior class on Friday at the Cougar Baseball Complex but was unable to secure a win, dropping both games of a doubleheader to Concordia Irvine, 13–11 and 7–0.
Prior to the games, the Cougars recognized a group of seniors who have made lasting impacts on the program: Tyler Preece, Cameron Kessel, Joel Tornero, Casey Spencer, Blake Hagerty, Noah Lane, Chris Hernandez-Vides, Matthew Brock, Joey Frey, Tyler Herges, Brody Sprinkle, Danny O'Neill, Aeden Alexander and Doug Pyle.
Game One – Concordia Irvine 13, Azusa Pacific 11
Game one featured an explosive start for the Cougars, but Concordia Irvine responded with a sustained offensive surge to complete the comeback.
Azusa Pacific came out firing in the first inning, erupting for seven runs on six hits. Jacob Freer led off with a double before Bryce Robinette drove him in. Isaiah Rios added an RBI double, Blake Hagerty delivered a two-run double, and Diego Orozco capped the inning with a two-run home run to give APU a commanding 7–0 lead.
The Cougars continued to build in the second, adding three more runs behind RBI hits from Rios and Steven Lukasiewicz along with a bases-loaded walk from Aeden Alexander to extend the lead to 10–0.
However, momentum shifted quickly.
Concordia Irvine chipped away with runs in the third and fourth before erupting in the fifth inning with three home runs, including a two-run shot from Wyatt Madison and a solo blast from Dylan Knowles, cutting the deficit to 10–7. The Eagles followed with a four-run sixth inning to take an 11–10 lead and never looked back.
Azusa Pacific briefly tied the game at 11–11 earlier in the sixth, but Concordia Irvine added insurance runs in the eighth and ninth to secure the 13–11 victory.
The Cougars totaled 16 hits in the game, with Tyler Preece going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Isaiah Rios collecting four hits and two RBIs. Hagerty and Orozco each drove in multiple runs in the loss .
Game Two – Concordia Irvine 7, Azusa Pacific 0
The nightcap saw Concordia Irvine seize control early and never relinquish it.
The Eagles scored three runs in the first inning and added two more in the second, highlighted by a two-run home run from Isaiah Walz, to take a 5–0 lead.
Azusa Pacific struggled to generate offense against Concordia Irvine starter Matthew Kaiser, who limited the Cougars to just two hits across seven innings while striking out six.
The Cougars' best opportunity came in the sixth inning when Jacob Freer doubled and advanced to third, but APU was unable to push a run across.
On the mound, Casey Spencer took the loss after allowing seven runs over four innings, while Cameron Kessel provided three scoreless innings of relief.
Azusa Pacific finished with just two hits in the game as Concordia Irvine completed the doubleheader sweep.
