AZUSA, Calif. – Jessup University baseball team hit the road on Friday for a PacWest doubleheader against the Azusa Pacific University Cougars at the Cougar Baseball Complex.
Despite a resilient offensive display that featured six combined home runs from the Warriors across the two games, Jessup fell short in both matchups, dropping game one 15-5 before suffering a narrow 12-11 walk-off defeat in the series finale.
Game 1: Azusa Pacific 15, Jessup 5
The Warriors jumped out to an immediate lead in the opening frame when Quinton Hall blasted a solo home run to right field, 1-0. However, Azusa Pacific's offense responded in the bottom of the second, making it a difficult afternoon for the Jessup pitching staff.
After the Cougars tied it in the second, they broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning, to take a 6-1 lead. Jessup showed fight in the later frames, with Landyn Plaut launching a solo home run of his own in the sixth to cut into the deficit, 6-2.
In the top of the seventh, Tony Otis laced an RBI single up the middle, followed by a two-run double off the bat of Adam Reyes. The three-run frame suddenly had the Warriors within striking distance, trailing just 6-5.
Unfortunately for Jessup, APU answered with a massive nine-run explosion in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cougars took advantage of timely hitting to plate nine runs on seven hits, blowing the game wide open and securing the 15-5 victory. Loren Iwata took the loss on the mound for the Warriors.
Game 2: Azusa Pacific 12, Jessup 11
Game two proved to be an absolute thriller, featuring wild momentum swings and an explosive back-and-forth battle that came down to the final at-bat.
Jessup struck first once again in the top of the second inning when Matt Gonsalvez launched a two-run homer to left-center, scoring Cole Hazel, 2-0. After APU battled back to take a 4-3 lead, the Warriors' offense erupted for five runs in the fifth inning to completely flip the script. Cody Antone and Landyn Plaut sparked the rally with back-to-back solo home runs. Moments later, Hazel delivered the biggest blow of the inning, ripping a bases-clearing, three-run double down the left-field line to give Jessup an 8-4 advantage.
The Cougars, however, chipped away at the lead, plating four runs in the bottom of the fifth and three more in the sixth to reclaim an 11-8 edge heading into the final frame.
Down to their final three outs in the top of the seventh, the Warriors dug deep. Hazel delivered an RBI single up the middle to bring Jessup within two, 11-9. With a runner on, pinch-hitter Gabe Harris stepped up to the plate and delivered a clutch two-run bomb to left field, dramatically tying the game at 11-11.
In the bottom half of the inning, APU managed to get runners on base. With two on, the Cougars hit a walk-off RBI single to left-center, allowing APU to escape with the 12-11 victory. Hazel finished the game with an incredible offensive line, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
The Warriors will look to bounce back, regroup, and split the series as they finish out the road trip against Azusa Pacific tomorrow. First pitch of the double header begins at 1:00 PM.
***
About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
