Azusa Pacific picks up their second PacWest win against the Academy of Art
Azusa Pacific was able to split the series with Academy of Art on Wednesday, picking up a win in the first game with a score of 3-2, and dropping the second, 5-0. The series split drops the Cougars to a 6-15 record on the season, but APU was able to earn their first home win of the season in game one.
In the first game, the Cougars were able to hold the Academy of Art’s bats in check through the first two innings, before giving up a run in the third when Jayda Alaan’s single scored Samantha Klune from third. Azusa Pacific would respond in the bottom of the third, when junior infielder Cayla Broussard’s single scored senior infielder Iliana Jimenez from second base. Broussard would finish the day 5-7 at the plate.
The Cougars struck again in the fourth inning, when freshman Becca Jewett launched a ball over the left-field fence, bringing in two runs, making the score 3-1.
The game was a pitchers’ duel until the seventh inning, when Samantha Klune tripled to center field, scoring Gracie Sotomayor from second base. The game ended when sophomore pitcher Kat Ung, who pitched a complete game, forced a ground-out to freshman Amanda Woods, who calmly fielded the ball and got the out at first.
Ung noted that her confidence in the circle stems from her confidence in her team behind her.
“I just go in with the mindset that my defense is behind me and they’ll back me up. So, no matter how good or bad I play, my team is going to be there to help me.”
Head Coach Carrie Webber heaped praise on the sophomore pitcher, who, despite a 4-6 record, has been excellent as of late.
“She’s doing a really good job. She throws really well for us and keeps us in ball games and allows us a good fighting chance to win. Unfortunately, she just doesn’t get the credit that she deserves because we can’t always score runs behind her.”
Although the Cougars’ bats found a little bit of a rhythm in the second game, they could not capitalize with runners on base, leaving 14 runners stranded over the course of the game.
Academy of Art would take advantage of their chances, however. Gabi Hirsch’s second-inning single scored Brooke Larsen to give the Urban Knights a 1-0 lead. Larsen would single in the third to send Tablada home from second for Academy of Art’s second run. Their lead was expanded in the sixth inning on a Gracie Sotomayor two-run double, and again in the seventh on Jayda Alaan’s single.
Webber noted that the Cougars’ adjustments at the plate are an ongoing process, and while some of the progress showed, there is still work to be done.
“We are trying to make adjustments to our swings so that we have a more mental approach in the sense that we try to slow things down and just get good barrel to ball, instead of worrying about how hard we are going to hit it or how far we are going to hit it,” Webber said. “It’s just about making solid contact. We saw glimpses of it tonight, but we still need to work on that.”
Broussard echoed her coach’s sentiment about adjustments, saying that the issue lies within staying positive throughout both games.
“Softball is a game of failure and we are not always going to be successful. I think that we just have to keep our mindsets positive and be ready to fight in the next game and work on those things in practice, but I think we are going to be alright,” Broussard said.
The Cougars have a quick turnaround, playing Biola University at home in their first edition of the Cornerstone Cup in PacWest play on Saturday, March 17. The doubleheader will begin at noon.