Azusa Pacific

The nine sites for the 2012 Opening Round tournaments will be:

The Opening Round tournaments will be played May 10-14. The nine winners and host Lewis-Clark State will make up the field for the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID May 25-June 1.

The fields for the Opening Round tournaments will be announced on May 6.

Seven of the nine Opening Round brackets were decided today, and two “if necessary” games will be played on Monday, May 13.

Sterlingwas the first team to qualify for this year's National Championship tournament. They won the Oklahoma City bracket by defeating Oklahoma City 1-0 in the final. Steven Cazares pitched a three-hit shutout for the Warriors. The only run of the game came on an RBI single by C Ian Josh in the second inning.

The Warriors got to the final by defeating Science and Arts of Oklahoma8-5, and Jamestown13-3. DH Andrew Clark hit a grand slam home run against USAO; Daniel Cloteaux got the win, despite allowing 13 hits and walking four in six inning of work (story). The Warriors got six runs in the first inning against Jamestown, led by a bases-loaded triple by 3B Anthony Feliciano. Feliciano, from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, had a total of six RBI for the game. The Warriors used four pitchers, gave up 14 hits (story).

This will be Sterling's first-ever appearance in the National Championship tournament. The school is located in Sterling, KS. It has 674 students, and supports 16 varsity sports.

Cal State-San Marcos and Azusa Pacific split a Cougars vs. Cougars matchup at APU's Cougar Baseball Field.

First game:CSUSM started with five runs in the top of the first inning, on an RBI single by 3B Austin Coleman, a two-RBI double by 2B Michael Meccuci, and a two-RBI single by 1B Kenny Belzer.

APU starter Ben Ruder was replaced by Zachary Hedges in the second inning. He was greeted with an RBI single by LF Anthony Renteria, son of Rick Renteria, who played 184 games with the Pirates, Mariners, and Marlins, and is currently the bench coach for the Padres. Hedges ended up going 6 2/3 innings, and didn't allow another earned run the rest of the way. This made an impressive comeback by APU possible. CF Matt Kimmel got it started. He drew a leadoff walk, stole second and third, and scored on a single by SS Anthony Rodriguez. The second run of the inning was scored by 3B Brendan Casey on a wild pitch; Casey originally got on base with a walk. APU officially got back in the game with two runs in the fourth on an RBI ground out by C Matt Page and an RBI single by 2B Sammy Soyring. This made the score 6-4.

#21 Belhavenwon the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament, defeating William Carey in the final 16-5. The Blazers put it away with ten runs in the third inning, led by a grand slam home run by C Ryan Saunders; all of the runs were scored with two out.

Belhaven, Lee, and Auburn-Montgomery will be in the Opening Round tournament. Faulkner, Southern Polytechnic,and Brewton-Parkerwill have to wait until the final coaches' poll next week.

Results from the TranSouth Conferencetournament in Jackson, TN:

#4 Cumberlandwas upset by Bethel (TN) (ISR #59) 9-7 in the first round. The Bulldogs led 5-2 after five innings, but the Wildcats scored four runs in the sixth inning on no hits, three bases on balls, and three errors. The winning run came in the seventh inning on a two-RBI double by LF Jay Lowery.

#22 Trevecca Nazarenedefeated Freed-Hardeman4-1. The winning run came on a sacrifice fly by DH Jordan Foreman.

Martin Methodistdefeated Union U. (TN)(ISR #23) 2-1. Martin Methodist starter Jerry McMurtry went eight innings, allowed one run on five hits, struck out ten, threw 128 pitches. Jeremey Stack went the distance for Union U.; he allowed two runs on seven hits, struck out seven, threw 126 pitches. The winning run came on a wild pitch by Stack.

Results from the TranSouth Conferencetournament in Jackson, TN:

#4 Cumberlanddefeated Freed-Hardeman9-3, eliminating Freed-Hardeman. Aaron Wilkerson got his 12th win of the season, went six innings, allowed three runs on seven hits, struck out seven, threw 114 pitches. Daniel Kern got a save; he retired all nine batters he faced, struck out two. SS Tommy Winegardner hit a three-run home run.

Union U. (TN)defeated Bethel (TN)10-5.

Martin Methodistdefeated #22 Trevecca Nazarene 4-3, in ten innings. CF Tony Allen singled in the winning run; he went 3-4 for the game. Both starters went the distance; Travis Garcia got the win, allowed five hits, struck out ten, threw 134 pitches. P.J. Francescon got the loss, allowed eight hits, struck out 14, threw 140 pitches.

Two Southern California colleges with strong baseball programs will be in NCAA Division II for the 2012 season, and three more will be applying for membership in Division II on June 1.

Cal Baptisthas been upgrading their athletic program for the past few years, and they remodeled their ballpark in 2007. They recently won their first Golden State Athletic Conference since 2006, and made their first trip to the Baseball National Championship since 1997. Cal Baptist supports 16 varsity sports. They have been accepted for membership in the Pacific West Conference, and will be competing in PacWest in 2012.

Cal State San Marcosis headed for the more prestigious California Collegiate Athletic Conference. This is an obvious move; most of the members of this conference have names that start with “Cal State.” CSUSM recently added men's and women's basketball to bring the number of varsity sports to 13. While CSUSM was moving in the direction of Division II anyway, their lack of a conference affiliation (membership in the GSAC is restricted to Christian colleges) was a drawback for their NAIA membership.

Here is how the NAIA players taken in the 2010 MLB draft did this summer.

Joseph Staley- C, Lubbock Christian, 8^th round, Giants - Played 33 games for the AZL Giants, batted .250, five home runs, 25 RBI. He will be spending the Fall in the Instructional League in Scottsdale, AZ.

Kawicka Emsley-Pai - C, Lewis-Clark State, 10^th round, Diamondbacks - Played 42 games with the Yakima Bears of the short-season Class A Northwest League, batted .167.

Tyler Knigge - RHP, Lewis-Clark State, 12^th round, Phillies - Pitched 30 1/3 innings for the GCL Phillies (ten appearances, four starts), had a record of 0-3, 5.04 ERA, 27 strikeouts. One of his teammates with the Phillies was Pat Murray(1B, Lewis-Clark State, 34^th round, Phillies). Murray played 52 games, batted .313, with two home runs, 26 RBI.

Oklahoma City, Lee, South Carolina-Beaufort, and the College of Idaho have qualified for the Baseball National Championship tournament. Results from the fifth day of the NAIA Baseball Opening round:

At Oklahoma City, OK:

Oklahoma City 3, Sterling (KS) 0: The Stars finished this tournament with a phenomenal three straight shutouts. Sterling had the tying run at the plate with no outs in the top of the ninth, and Patrick Goelz came in, threw nine straight strikes to end it.

The winning run came in the third inning, on an RBI double by 1B Miguel Beltran. Beltran went 3-for-4 for the game. Starter Blake Schwartz got the win, went six innings, allowed five hits, struck out seven.

At Hardeeville, SC:

South Carolina-Beaufort 11, Saint Thomas (FL) 2: The Sand Sharks scored eight runs in the fourth inning. 1B Brandon Collins went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBI.

The Sand Sharks earned this trip to Lewiston in only the fourth year of their program.

At Azusa, CA:

College of Idaho 7, Azusa Pacific 6: CF Tyler Andazola hit a ground ball in the bottom of the ninth to score SS Tanner Hodges from third base to give the Coyotes their first trip to the National Championship tournament since 2002.

Todd Griffiths, who pitched a complete-game shutout against Menlo on Friday, went 8 1/3 innings in this one, allowed 11 hits. He was relieved by Taylor Nicholson after the Cougars tied it with two runs in the top of the ninth. Nicholson threw eight pitches, got the win.

At Cleveland, TN:

Lee 8, Missouri Baptist 5: The Flames scored five runs in the top of the third inning to break a 2-2 tie. 1B Roberto Reyes hit a three-RBI double.

This will be the sixth straight trip to Lewiston for the Flames since Mark Brew took over as Head Coach.

Results from the second day of the NAIA Baseball Opening round:

At Hardeeville, SC:

South Carolina-Beaufort 7, Faulkner 3: The #5-ranked Eagles went two-and-out, and the Sand Sharks gave Corey Black his second loss of the season. The Sand Sharks scored five runs in the last two innings, and the winning run came on a pinch-hit RBI single by Blake Cilwick. Miles Galvin got the win for the Sand Sharks, struck out eleven. The Sand Sharks play Union U. (TN) on Saturday, and the winner plays Saint Thomas.

Saint Thomas (FL) 6, Union U. (TN) 3: The Bobcats go to 2-0 in the tournament. Pinch-hitter Oscar Romero hit a two-RBI single for the winning run.

At Paducah, KY:

LSU-Shreveport 1, Lindsey Wilson 0: Lindsey Wilson starter Darren Travers gave up a run in the first inning on an RBI single by 1B Greg Friesen, and held the Pilots scoreless the rest of the way. The Pilots needed a shutout from Jared Mortensen, and got one. Mortensen held the Blue Raiders to four hits, struck out ten, and walked only one. The Pilots will face the Peru State-Lindsey Wilson winner tomorrow for the championship.

LSU-Shreveport, Tennessee Wesleyan, Embry-Riddle, Point Park, and Rogers State have qualified for the Baseball National Championship tournament. Results from the third day of the NAIA Baseball Opening round:

At Paducah, KY:

LSU-Shreveport 5, Lindsey Wilson 1: Logan Norris pitched a three-hitter for the Pilots, struck out six, walked three. RF Kade Billeaudeaux hit a sacrifice fly for the winning run. Billeaudeaux went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

At Kingsport, TN:

Tennessee Wesleyan 14, Saint Francis (IL) 4: The Bulldogs got all the runs they needed in the third inning, on RBI singles by 1B Jake Stone and 3B Taylor Oldham, and a three-RBI double by DH Drew Levi. Levi went 3-for-5 with four RBI. Jeremy Fitzgerald got the win. Saint Francis used eight pitchers.

Oklahoma City (11-4) defeated Northwood (TX)13-5 and won two of three against U. of Science and Arts of Oklahoma12-2, 8-5, and 2-4. RF Dane Phillips went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI in the first game against USAO; Blake Schwartz and Allen Townsend combined for a two-hitter. 1B Miguel Beltran went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBI in the second game; Rich Hawkins got the win. 1B Zach Gonzales singled in the winning run for USAO in the third game. Adam Wilson got the win, held the Stars to five hits. The Stars host Oklahoma WesleyanFeb. 28, visit Northwestern Oklahoma StateMarch 1, and host Northwestern Oklahoma State March 3.

Concordia-Irvine (9-5) began their defense of their Golden State Athletic Conference championship by winning three of four against San Diego Christian, 5-4, 12-4, 6-1, and 5-6. RF Ty Holm stole home for the winning run in the first game. DH Tony Harkey hit a three-RBI double in the second game. Jake Hovis pitched a complete game in the third game, allowed five hits. The Eagles were done in by three unearned runs on the fourth game. They visit VanguardMarch 1-2, and host Vanguard March 3.

Cal Baptist(ISR #1) split four games with Azusa Pacific(#16), winning 2-1, losing 5-1, winning 10-3, and losing 7-3. Taylor Siemens went the distance in the first game, scattering eight hits and striking out 11, and not walking a batter. The Lancers' runs came from solo home runs by SS Brian Sharp and 1B Josh Manzano. Morgan Wynne got the win for the Cougars in the second game. Erik Wallace got the win for the Lancers in the third game, went eight innings, allowed four hits. In the fourth game, 1B Johnathan Erb went 2-3 and batted in three runs for the Cougars; Nolan Rudman got a win in his first start of the season; he allowed four hits over six innings, struck out seven.

The Lancers are now 23-4, and they remain at the top of the Golden State Athletic Conference standing with a 10-2 record. Next up is Fresno Pacific(#3), at home on Wednesday, and away on March 19. The Sunbirds are 13-8, and swept four games against The Master's last week.

Oklahoma City (#2)has won 19 straight. They started the week with a 6-5 win over Iowa Wesleyan. Courtesy runner Brian Fisher scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth on a wild pitch. Steve Styck, who pitched the final inning, got his second win of the season. The Stars then swept three games from Northwestern Oklahoma State, 17-7, 2-1, and 4-1 (eight innings). Allen Townsend got the 2-1 win, struck out eight, didn't allow an earned run. Matt Presley batted in the winning run in the third game. Rich Hawkins went the eight-inning distance for the Stars. Hawkins is 3-2, 2.05 ERA.

The 19-2 Stars visit Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State on Tuesday, U. Of Science and Arts of Oklahomaon Thursday, and host USAO on March 19.

Embry-Riddle(#4) started the week with a 10-2 win over Jamestown; SS Ben Kline went 3-4 with two doubles. Brandon Creath went seven innings, allowed two hits, struck out eight. The Eagles then won two games against Tennessee Wesleyan, 8-2 and 8-5. Ryan Vigue and Robbie Ratliff got the wins. Next, their 13-game winning streak was broken by South Carolina-Beaufort, 7-6 in 11 innings. The Eagles led 5-0 at one point, but needed a sacrifice fly by CF Aaron Glaum in the top of the ninth to send it into extra innings. The Sand Sharks loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the 11^th, and Larry Perry hit a single with two out to win it. Andrew Barrineau, who pitched the last three innings for the Sand Sharks, got the win.

The Eagles swept a double-header against the Sand Sharks the next day, 2-0 and 10-7 (11 innings). This was described in Embry-Riddle's press release as “one of the most intense doubleheaders in recent history.” Ryan Vigue got his second win of the week in the complete-game shutout. He allowed only four hits, and struck out 11. The Eagles got the winning run in the first inning on an RBI single by 3B Steve Sabins. The only other run of the game came on an RBI single by C Adam Cellini in the seventh inning. The Sand Sharks had the tying run at first in the bottom of the eighth, but Vigue got LF/RF Ty Main to ground out to end the only scoring threat of the game by the Sand Sharks.

Union U. (TN) 3, Faulkner 1: (at Hardeeville, SC): After defeating Asbury 7-1 earlier in the day, the Bulldogs defeated #5 Faulkner with a complete game by Will Irwin.

Irwin, a transfer from Auburn, held the Eagles to six hits, and the only run the Eagles scored was unearned. Irwin struck out eight, didn't walk a batter, and most of the balls put in play by Eagles batters were harmless ground outs. He threw 125 pitches. He was also 2-4 at the plate.

Eagles starter Will Dismukes matched Irwin's performance for the first five innings, and the Eagles had a 1-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth. However, the Bulldogs loaded the bases, and 1B Kody Pinson drew a walk to bring in the tying run, scored by Wacey Russell, the courtesy runner for Irwin. C Doug Joyce hit a two-RBI double in the seventh to bring in the winning run. Joyce went 3-for-5 for the game.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 10, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 17, Oklahoma City 1, Azusa Pacific 1

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport (17-3 RRAC) swept Houston-Victoria9-0, 3-1, and 8-0. Matt Lackie pitched a three-hit shutout in the first game, and Jared Mortensen pitched a seven-inning three-hit shutout in the third game, struck out eleven. Logan Norris nearly got a third shutout, but the Jaguars scored a run in the last inning. SS Manny Estrada hit a two-RBI triple. A scheduled game at Division II Southern Arkansas was rained out. Mortensen has an ERA of 1.09, third-best in the NAIA. The Pilots host Texas-BrownsvilleApril 13-14. The Pilots have won 14 straight, and lead the Red River Athletic Conference; Texas-Brownsville is second with a with a 15-6 conference record.

Lee(21-3 SSAC) defeated Cumberland6-3, and swept three games against Southern Polytechnic, 9-7, 6-5, and 7-0. 1B Roberto Reyes hit a grand slam home run with two out in the bottom of the ninth to win the first game against Southern Polytechnic. LF Mike Moore hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh of a seven-inning game for the winning run in the second game. Vince Spilker, Kyle Briner, and Andy Hillis combined for the shutout in the third game; 2B Blake Barber batted in three runs. The Flames host Tennessee WesleyanApril 11, and Auburn-MontgomeryApril 13-14. The Flames and #4 Faulknercontinue to be tied for the Southern States Athletic Conference lead.

Oklahoma City(18-3 SAC) won two of three games against Rogers State, 5-3, 1-3, and 6-5 (eight innings, scheduled for seven). SS Chris Muñoz scored the winning run in the first game on a sacrifice fly by RF Dane Phillips; Muñoz went 3-for-4 with a home run. Brandon Bargas went the distance for the Hillcats in the second game, held the Stars to five hits, struck out ten. All three of the Hillcats' runs came on a home run by 2B Hector Rivera in the third inning, and Bargas had a shutout going into the seventh. 1B Miguel Beltran batted in the winning run with a fielder's choice in the third game; Patrick Goelz, who held the Hillcats scoreless over the last 2 2/3 innings, got the win in relief. The Stars host Oklahoma ChristianApril 12 and 14, and visit Oklahoma Christian April 13. The Stars lead the Sooner Athletic Conference; #x Oklahoma Baptist is in second place with a 13-5 record.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 17, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 18, Azusa Pacific 2

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport (19-4 RRAC) won two of three close games against Texas-Brownsville, 1-2, 8-7, and 10-9. The loss ended a 16-game winning streak, and was Jared Mortensen's first loss of the season. Zach Armstrong went the seven-inning distance for the Scorpions, allowed only three hits, struck out six. (Mortensen allowed four hits, struck out ten.) 2B Scott Frasier hit a sacrifice fly for the winning run for the Scorpions. SS Manny Estrada hit a home run to win the second game, and he drew a bases-loaded walk to send in the winning run in the third game. The Pilots visit William Carey April 18, host Texas Wesleyan April 20-21, and close their regular season at Division III Centenary April 24. -14. The Pilots lead the Red River Athletic Conference, and can clinch the pennant with one win against Texas Wesleyan.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 24, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 19, Azusa Pacific 1

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport (22-4 RRAC) swept a double-header at William Carey, 10-4 and 9-4, and clinched the Red River Athletic Conference pennant by sweeping Texas Wesleyan 5-2, 5-0, and 14-2. Jared Mortensen went the distance in the first Texas Wesleyan game, scattered eight hits, struck out nine. Matt Lackie went the distance for the shutout in the second game, ran his record to 9-0, struck out seven. The Pilots then swept a double-header at Division III Centenary, 15-11 and 10-7 (eight innings, scheduled for seven). Mortensen got a save in the second game, CF Ridge Gonsoulin batted in the winning run. This crosstown, cross-divisional matchup drew 550 fans. The Pilots host the RRAC tournament April 28-May 1.

Oklahoma City(23-4 SAC) won two of three against #18 Lubbock Christian, 5-1, 4-5 (eight innings, scheduled for seven), and 4-2. 1B Miguel Beltran hit a home run in the first game, and also made an unassisted double play. 3B Jordan Lewis batted in the winning run for the Chaparrals in the second game. Jose Gonzalez, who retired all four batters he faced, got the win. 2B Brian Fisher hit a home run for the winning run in the third game. The Stars host Wayland BaptistApril 26-27, and finish their regular season at Division II Central Oklahoma April 28. Beltran now has 20 home runs on the season, most in the NAIA. The Stars lead the Sooner Athletic Conference; #8 Oklahoma Baptist is three games back (with three games remaining) with a 20-7 record.

Faulkner (27-3 SSAC) swept three games against Shorter, 4-1, 5-1, and 4-2, and won the Southern States Athletic Conference pennant. Corey Black pitched a three-hitter in the first game, struck out eight. 2B Daniel Cayton hit a two-RBI double for the winning run in the third game. Black leads the NAIA with an ERA of 0.97, and is tied with four other pitchers (including Rich Hawkins of Oklahoma City) with ten wins. The Eagles have won 20straight games. The SSAC tournament starts April 26, in Columbus, GA. The Eagles will play Belhaven in the first round.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for April 3, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 15, Azusa Pacific 2, Lee 1, Oklahoma City 1

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport (17-3 RRAC) defeated Division III Louisiana College 5-1, and swept three games at Southwest Assemblies of God, 18-2, 8-2, and 10-6. The Pilots outhit Louisiana College 15-3. They scored ten runs in the top of the ninth in the first game against SAGU, allowed three hits. C David Dorton hit an inside-the-park home run. 3B Devin Greco went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the second game, and 3-for-4 with three RBI in the third game. The Pilots visit Division II Southern Arkansas April 4, and host Houston-VictoriaApril 6-7. The Pilots lead the Red River Athletic Conference; Texas-Brownsville is second with a with a 13-5 conference record.

Oklahoma City(16-2 SAC) swept three games against Saint Gregory's, 7-2, 6-2, and 12-5. 1B Miguel Beltran, LF Kale Gaden, and SS Chris Muñoz hit home runs in the first game. RF Dane Phillips went 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI in the second game. Phillips moved to catcher for the third game, went 3-for-3 with a double and three RBI. The Stars host Rogers StateApril 5, and visit Rogers State April 7. The Stars lead the Sooner Athletic Conference; #7 Oklahoma Baptist and Lubbock Christian are tied for second place with 11-4 records.

The NAIA Coaches' Top 25 for April 5, with Boyd Nation's ISR rankings. Recap below the fold:

First place votes:Oklahoma City 21, Lee 1

The NAIA Coaches' poll for March 26, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes:Lee 13, LSU-Shreveport 3, Oklahoma City 1, Azusa Pacific 3

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

Lee(17-1 SSAC) won two games against Freed-Hardeman5-2 and 6-5, and swept three games against Brewton-Parker,5-4, 2-0, and 15-3. DH Corey Davis hit a walk-off home run in the second game against Freed-Hardeman to give coach Mark Brew his 300^th win. 1B Roberto Reyes went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the first game against Brewton-Parker, and 2-for-6 with a grand slam home run in the third game. Patrick Merkling and Jose Samayoa combined for a two-hit shutout in the second game. Merkling is 7-0, 0.83ERA (third-best in the NAIA), with 62 strikeouts. The Flames visit Southern WesleyanMarch 30-31. The Flames lead the Southern States Athletic Conference; Faulkneris second with a 15-3 record.

The NAIA Coaches' poll for May 1, 2012, with Boyd Nation's Iterative Strength Rating (ISR):

First place votes: LSU-Shreveport 18, Azusa Pacific 2

Azusa Pacific is #1 in Strength of Schedule

LSU-Shreveport won the Red River Athletic Conference championship, defeating Bacone5-2 in the final. This was the only game of the tournament that was close. CF Ridge Gonsoulin went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the final; Drew Middleton got the win.

Oklahoma Cityswept three games against Wayland Baptist, 5-4, 7-0, and 22-6, and won the Sooner Athletic Conference pennant. 1B Miguel Beltran hit a three-RBI double in the bottom of the seventh to win the first game. Blake Schwartz pitched a complete-game two-hitter in the second game, struck out ten. Beltran hit two home runs in the third game, to bring his season total to 22, tied for most in the NAIA. They finished their regular season with a 8-4 win over Division II Central Oklahoma. RF Chad Carman went 4-for-5 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. The Stars are hosting the SAC tournament, and are scheduled to play Southern NazareneMay 2, Northwestern Oklahoma Stateon May 3, and #24 Lubbock Christian on May 4.

Faulkner was defeated by #5 Lee13-0 in the Southern States Athletic Conference tournament, and because the Eagles lost an earlier game in the tournament, 12-9 to Shorter,the loss took the Flames out of the tournament. The loss to Shorter forced the Eagles to deplete their pitching staff, and they had to move position players to the mound for the last two innings of the game against Lee. This was the only meeting of the Eagles and Flames this season.

Azusa Pacificwon three of four against Point Loma Nazarene. They lost the first game 6-5 when Matt Winkler balked in a run in the bottom of the 13^th inning. Garrett Gooding, who pitched 5 1/3 relief innings for the Sea Lions, allowed four hits, struck out five, got the win. The Cougars won the remaining three games 3-1, 7-3, and 4-2. Jacob Cage got the in in the first game, went six innings, allowed zero earned runs on five hits. RF Brent Warren batted in two of the Cougars' runs, including a bunt single that sent in the winning run. DH Trevor Lothrup hit a grand slam home run to win the second game. 3B Brendan Casey scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the third game; J.C. Aguayo scattered seven hits for the win. The Cougars were upset by Westmont12-5 in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference tournament. 3B David Gabel went 3-for-4 with a home run and a double for the Warriors, batted in four runs. Timothy Leary went eight innings, got the win. This was Westmont's first post-season game in 15 years. The Cougars will play Fresno Pacificon May 2.