After Azusa Pacific (19-2, 11-2) showed why it is ranked the number two team in the NAIA with a 15-0 win over Westmont Baseball (3-11, 2-10), the Warriors showed that they can play with anyone in the second game of the doubleheader. Scheduled for seven innings, the Warriors and Cougars battled through ten innings, with Azusa Pacific finally prevailing 4-3 on a home run by Carlos Maddox.
In the first game, Azusa Pacific's Garrett Lebsock (2-0) pitched a master piece, allowing just three hits in the complete game shutout. Garrett threw just 85 pitchers over nine innings of work. Meanwhile, the Cougars batted around in the first and third innings, scoring five runs in each.
Starter Erik Gaustad took the loss for the Warriors (1-1). He pitched two-plus innings, giving up eight runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out two.
In the second game, Westmont jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Left fielder Taylor Grace reached on an error to start off the inning and then took second on an error during a pick off attempt. After a walk to Anthony Martinez, Robert De Leon singled through the right side to load the bases with nobody out.
Mark Boujikian stepped to the plate and did what clean up hitters are supposed to do when the bases are loaded – he delivered a two-RBI double to center field. Philip Valle then picked up an RBI on a ground out to second base which allowed De Leon to score. Colton Christianson moved Boujikian over to third with a double down the line and the Warriors were in position to break the game open early. But the Cougars got lucky when catcher Luke Montzingo hit the ball hard, but on a line drive right to the first baseman, resulting in a double play that brought the inning to an end.
On the mound for the Warriors, Max Gutierrez was busy shutting the Cougars down. Gutierrez allowed one run in the second inning and one unearned run in the fourth before allowing the tying run in the sixth inning. The Cougars threatened to score again in the sixth inning on a sacrifice fly when Drew Evans smashed a fly ball to right field with one away and a man on third. But Westmont right fielder Terrell Wong delivered a no-bounce strike to Montzingo, doubling up Stephen Kohatsu at home when he tried to score on the play.
Azusa Pacific had a chance in the top of the seventh to go on top when they put men on second and third with two away, but Westmont shortstop Anthony Martinez put an end to the Cougar threat when he made a lunging catch to his right on a hard line-drive by Kirk.
Westmont hoped to get something going in the bottom of the seventh when Taylor Maddox led off with a single. After Wong struck out, Cody Chapman came to the plate, pinch hitting for Grace, and hit a ground ball to the second baseman who flipped it over to the shortstop, retiring Maddox. Nieuwenhuis, Azusa Pacific's center fielder took exception to Maddox' slide which broke up the play. The two bumped chests before both were ejected from the game before play resumed. Martinez struck out to bring an end to the seventh and send the game into extra innings.
Gutierrez returned to the mound in the top of the eighth inning and retired the side in order. Reliever Ben Jones did the same in the bottom of the eighth for the Cougars.
In the top of the ninth, Gutierrez struck out Evans before issuing a walk to second baseman Galen Komo. After a visit to the mound, Westmont head coach Scott Deck decided Gutierrez' 117 pitches were enough, and brought in Jon White in relief. White hit third baseman Ryan Dowell with a pitch to put men on first and second, but then struck out Matt Vemegas and convinced Derrick Keeton to popup to right field for the final out.
The Warriors nearly won the game in the bottom of the ninth. Christianson led off with a walk and was replaced with Derek Fugitt as a pinch runner, Montzingo laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Fugitt over to second base with one away. Gaustad stepped in as a pinch hitter and was intentionally walked and then replaced at first by Charles Whitman. That brought up Wong who belted a screeching line drive up the middle, but it was nabbed by Jones on the mound who threw it over to first base to double up Whitman and send the game to the tenth.
Carlos Maddox led off for the Cougars in the top of the tenth inning and belted his home run over the left field fence to give Azusa Pacific the 4-3 lead. After White walked Feicht, he was replaced by Chris Plance who retired the next three batters in order to bring an end to the Cougars' half of the tenth.
A one out single by Martinez in the bottom of the second gave the Warriors hope. But De Leon struck out and Boujikian was out on a ground ball to the right side with the pitcher covering first base.
White (0-2) was assigned the loss while Jones (1-0) earned the win for Azusa Pacific. Westmont starter Gutierrez pitched eight and one-third innings, giving up three runs, two of which were earned, on eight hits. He walked three and struck out two.
The Warriors will host a non-conference game against Wesleyan of Connecticut on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m. and then return to GSAC action with a 2:30 game against Biola at Russ Carr Field on Wednesday.
