Cougars Put the Slug on Concordia, 9-6

Spencer Rasmussen hit a three-run bomb to break it open. (Photo by Duane Barker).

By Tim Peterson

(Glendora) – Azusa Pacific jumped out to an 8-0 lead and then had to hold on to beat Concordia 9-6 Saturday in the first game of a doubleheader.

The Cougars had eight hits overall but five of them were for extra bases with four home runs and a double. Tido Robles hit two home runs, a two-run shot and a solo job while Sencer Rasmussen belted a three-run dinger in the third inning to increase the lead to 5-0. Will Stroud also hit a solo home run in the fourth for the sixth run.

Tido Robles went yard twice. (Photo by Duane Barker).

The other big blow for the Cougars was a two-run double by Jeffrey Castillo in the second inning to get the scoring started.

Concordia had 15 hits overall as they battled back into the game. Michael Dixon homered in the fifth for the Eagles first run and Richard Castro hit a three-run shot as part of a four run eighth to cut the APU lead to three.

Azusa Pacific used four pitchers in all to finally put Concordia away. David Hays started and went five innings before being relieved by Taylor Ouellette. David Wylie then worked two and one – third innings and Declan Kearney closed it out in the ninth.

David Hays threw five strong innings for the Cougars. (Photo by Duane Barker).

In the Cougar second inning Omar Lopez singled to center and Casey Dykstra was hit by a pitch. After Will Stroud reached on a fielder’s choice Castillo unloaded a double to left to score two and give APU a 2-0 lead.

In the third Robles was plunked by a pitch and Casey O’Laughlin singled to right. Rasmussen then turned on a fastball and hit it to West Covina and just like that it was 5-0.

Stroud hit a solo shot in the fourth inning and after Aaron Roose singled Robles bombed one over the fence to make it 8-0.

Concordia tried to battle back. After Dixon homered in the fifth to make to make it 8-1 the Eagles added one more in the sixth.

Robles’ second shot of the day made it 9-2 then Concordia made interesting with four in the eighth. Dixon singled home run one and with Kevin Fowler also aboard on a base hit Castro rode a pitch out of the park to make it 9-6.

Kearney then closed it out for Azusa Pacific. Hays allowed one run and seven hits while striking out eight. He also hit a batter and walked four in his five innings of work.

The Cougars improved to 24-13 with the victory.

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