Junior outfileder Sona Babayan continues to produce offensively for the Cougars as she went five-for-seven with a run scored and an RBI on Wednesday, Feb. 27’s doubleheader against California Baptist. Photo credit: Steven Mercado
Entering Wednesday night’s doubleheader, Azusa Pacific’s softball team led the all-time series against California Baptist, 60-58. However, since 2004, the Lancers won 36 of their last 40 matchups and are ranked No. 3 in the nation. The Cougars proved they can compete with the best on Wednesday, Feb. 26 by splitting the doubleheader: 0-2, 10-2.
The Cougars not only brought tough competition, but they forced use of a mercy rule in game two through an eight-run offensive explosion. According to Azusa Pacific head coach Carrie Webber, this was the first time in her seven years coaching at APU that they mercied CBU. Persistence and a new game plan were the key to the eighth-inning rally.
“In the first game, we were hitting the ball, but we were hitting it right at them. That’s what happens in this game [of softball]. You hit it right at them and eventually, they’ll start to fall,” Webber said. “Once we get girls on base, then we can really start to make things happen like we did in this last inning. We can steal, we can squeeze, we can sac bunt—we can do all kinds of things that really add to the whole dynamic of what our team is.
Despite eight hits in game one, the Cougars could not capitalize on their scoring chances. They left 13 runners on the base pads, including two different times when they left the bases loaded.
In game one, the hits were not falling for Azusa Pacific. In game two’s fifth inning, it all came together for the Cougars.
Every player in the Cougars’ lineup batted once in the eight-run fifth inning and junior second baseman Katrina Oviedo book-ended the inning with at-bats. She reached base twice in the inning and went two-for-five over the two-game span. The only out of the inning came with the bases loaded when sophomore first baseman Jessica Melcher attempted to send the ball over the fences on an 0-2 count and came up empty.
Sophomore pitcher Narissa Garcia pitched seven strong innings with five strikeouts and three walks. But she made one mistake that cost the Cougars game one: a pitch over the plate that resulted in a two-run, first-inning shot to right center from Lancers’ senior catcher Rachel Meyer.
“She really executed the things that we talked about, which was getting ahead early and using her off-speed, which was what she did and that’s how she stayed effective,” Webber said. “She threw a great game. It was just one pitch. That’s the way it goes.
Azusa Pacific flipped the first-inning script in game two, scoring two runs to jump out to an early two-run lead. Freshman outfielder Abry Moreno began the bottom half of the first with a single toward the shortstop. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and a sacrifice bunt from Oviedo brought Moreno to third. Freshman infielder Nicki Sprague promptly followed with a single to left field, bringing Moreno home for the first run of the game.
Back-to-back singles from sophomore catcher Madison Hernandez and junior outfielder Sona Babayan loaded the bases. Melcher then hit a fly ball to right field on which all runners tagged. Sprague crossed home plate for the second run of the inning.
The Lancers scored a run in the third and fourth innings to tie the game at two and in the fifth, the Cougars got their monster rally going.
According to Webber, consistency has been the key to the team’s success lately.
“We’re consistently doing the things that we need to do to stay in ball games,” Webber said. “We’re playing consistent fundamental defense, our pitchers are consistently keeping us in ball games and we’re consistently getting good at-bats. We’re not always going to get hits, we’re not always going to score runs, we’re not always going to get on, but we’re consistent with our game plan and we’re making the adjustments that we haven’t been able to make in the last couple of years.”
The 21-hit night for the Cougars was a balanced offensive effort. Babayan entered the game after going .526 (10-for-19) with five runs, one double, two triples, three RBIs and a stolen base in six games last week. This performance earned her PacWest player of the week honors, and she continued her success with the bat on Wednesday as she went five-for-seven with a run and an RBI.
Babayan said the first game was not a tough one and it made them more confident for game two.
“At the beginning of the second game, I was talking with a few of my teammates and it didn’t feel like we lost the first one,” Babayan said. “We felt like we ran the tempo of the game and we didn’t feel like they beat us. I think we bounced back great in the second game. We were confident, we knew what we had to do to win and it’s exciting to see all that stuff come together and especially end like that. That was awesome.”
Sprague was among other top performers for the Cougars. She went four-for-five, scoring two runs and an RBI. Sprague continues to be a headache for the opposition, entering the game with a .531 batting average and a .629 on-base percentage.
After the big split against Cal Baptist, the Cougars will face Dixie State at home Monday, March 3 at 2 p.m. before heading to Riverside Tuesday, March 4 for a rematch against the rival Lancers.