The Cougars parlayed a mere 4 hits into 8 runs to take the first game, 8-3, and then slapped 14 hits, including 3 triples, to win 14-5 in a run-ruled second game.
Freshman Erika Marmolejo led the Cougar attack on the day with 3 hits in 5 at-bats to produced 3 RBIs. In the first game, she had a run-scoring single in 4-run second and then cranked a sacrifice fly to deep center in the third inning to help Azusa Pacific run out to a 5-0 lead. She also sandwiched in a run in a 3-run fifth inning when the Cougars pushed their lead to 8-0.
The Royals, however, greeted Cougar reliever Carissa Piper with a solo home run to start the sixth inning and tagged on 2 more runs before starter Camille Hundley had to return to the circle to close out the final 3 innings. Hundley struck out the side in the seventh to tie her own school sing-game record of 15 punch-outs, which she originally tallied in a victory over Cal State East Bay earlier this season.
In the game, Azusa Pacific scored 4 runs in the second inning on just hits and scored 3 more on just 1 hit in the fifth. Six Royal errors aided the Cougar cause.
In the second game, the Cougars unloaded on Royal pitcher Alexis Alonzo, scoring no less than 3 runs in each of the first 4 innings.
Bekah Weisser’s 2-out, bases-loaded triple to the gap in right-center put the Cougars up 3-0 before the Royals ever came to bat.
Hope International, though, put its first 5 batters on base and all 5 came around to score, giving the Royals a surprising 5-3 lead after 1 inning of play.
Cougar pitcher Erin Halma settled down the rest of the way, not allowing a hit over the next 3 innings, and then helped her own cause with 3 hits and 6 RBIs in her final 3 at-bats of the game.
Like Weiser, Halma produced a bases-loaded triple, this one to right field, to put the Cougars back on top for good at 6-5 in the second inning. In the third inning, she had a 2-run single to center, pushing the Cougar lead to 10-5. She capped her offensive out-burst with an RBI single to fourth to lead the Cougars to a season single-game high 14 runs.
Jen Whitten had 3 hits and scored 3 runs, while Erika Navarrete when 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
Halma surrendered 5 hits, all in the first inning and struck out 1 before giving way to Bre Anderson who closed out the game in the fifth inning.
With the sweep, Azusa Pacific improves to 24-20 on the season and is assured of its first winning season since 2006. In addition, with Biola University getting swept by Vanguard University, the Cougars move back into fourth place in the GSAC at 10-12.
Azusa Pacific closes out the regular-season Saturday (April 25) at home against the NAIA’s No. 3-ranked Point Loma Nazarene with a noon doubleheader.
