Azusa Pacific 20
Westmont 7

Azusa Pacific 9
Westmont 5

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. –The week of rain and postponed games did little to dampen the Azusa Pacific bats as the Cougars erupted for 29 runs and 36 hits in a doubleheader sweep at Westmont, 20-7 and 9-5.

After staking their way to a 15-2 lead after 5 innings then cruising to a 20-7 win in the opener, the Cougars needed to work a little harder in a come-from-behind 9-5 win in the nightcap.

Westmont led 5-3 after 4 innings, touching up Cougar starter Andy Alstot for 4 runs on just 3 hits in his 3 innings of work, but the Warriors couldn’t put the Cougars away as they rallied for 6 runs in the final 2 innings, including a 5-run sixth in which they scored 4 of them with 2 outs.

With 2 outs in the sixth, Shaun Beutner tied the game at 5-5 when he singled home Cameron Radonich, who earlier reached with an RBI double. Traviss Hodge then poked his first home run of the season to give the Cougars’ a 7-5 lead. The Cougars scored twice more, and Matt Dzama slammed the door working a perfect seventh for his first save of the year.

Kelly Strickland picked up the win in relief. He tossed 3 innings and allowed just 1 run for his first win of the season. Jake Haaker and Robert Guiles both finished with 3-for-4. Hodge was 2-for-4 with a double and a 2-run home run.

In the opener, the Cougars pounded out a season-high 24 hits and took advantage of 7 Westmont errors, and that was more than enough for starter Mike Medlock, who picked up his second win of the campaign. He threw 5.1 innings, allowing 6 earned runs and striking out 3.

Every Cougar starter had a hit, while Robbie Lindsey and Nick Mercado each had 4 hits apiece. Beutner, Hodge, Dzama and Alex Valadez each had 3 hits apiece.

With the sweep, Azusa Pacific improves to 4-3 overall, 2-0 GSAC, while Westmont drops to 2-6, 0-2.