Azusa Pacific 20
Cal State L.A. 8

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific pounded out 18 hits and scored 13 runs in a span of 3 innings to cruise to a 20-8 non-conference win over Cal State L.A.

The win is the Cougars’ fourth in a row and their ninth in the past 10 games. They improve to 22-11 overall. Cal State L.A. drops to 19-12.

Glenn Hedgpeth finished 2-for-5 with 6 RBIs, and his bases clearing double in the fourth broke a 6-6 tie and gave the Cougars the lead for good. The Cougars opened a 5-1 lead after the second, but the Eagles rallied to take a 6-5 lead. Nick Mercado led off the fourth with his first home run of the season to tie the game at 6-6.

Ryan Marcos then scored Hedgpeth with an RBI single and the Cougars’ 5-run fourth was complete. From there, they proceeded to score 10 runs over the course of their next 3 at-bats to blow the game open. Hedgpeth hit his team-leading tenth home run of the season, a 3-run bomb, in the fifth to give the Cougars a 14-6 lead.

After giving up 6 runs (only 3 earned) in the first 3 innings, Cougar pitchers took control. Josh Grant picked up his first win of the season after he gave up just 1 hit and 2 unearned run in 3.1 innings of relief. Four other relievers combined to toss the final 4 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 2 runs.

Steven Vogt moved his hit streak to 15 straight with a 3-for-4 effort. He also had 4 runs and 2 RBIs. Mercado had 3 hits and 4 runs as well. Five others had 2 hits apiece, including Jake Haaker, who hit his second home run of the season in the second.