AZUSA, Calif. – Azusa Pacific moved within one win of advancing to Cary for the NCAA Division II National Championships after recording a 13-2 win over UC San Diego on Friday in the first game of the NCAA West Super Regional.
 
Azusa Pacific blasted six home runs in the victory, including three in the first two innings as the Cougars’ offense had big production for the second game in a row. Azusa Pacific tagged the CCAA Pitcher of the Year Brandon Weed for eight earned runs on 10 hits in five innings. The Cougars now have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series, and the second game will be played at noon followed by game three at 3:30 p.m.
 
“It’s nice playing at home,” head coach Paul Svagdis said. “It feels like this is something that has been going on for the last couple years: APU and UC San Diego facing each other. It was a good day.”
 
Osvaldo Tovalin began the slugfest with a home run to leftfield on the Cougars’ second at-bat of the game for a 1-0 lead. Then in the second inning, Casey Dykstra and Cole Kleszcz hit back-to-back home runs to make it a 4-0 lead right before the Tritons got two runs back on their own home run in the next half inning. Kleszcz continues his record-setting season with his 26th home run of the year. The consensus West Region Player of the Year also has a .876 slugging percentage.
 
The Cougars got their first run of the game that wasn’t by a home run in the fifth inning on a single by Griffen Herrera through the right side. Then Justin Gomez hit a home run to right-center field to make the lead 7-2. Joseph Kim also hit a solo shot in the same inning to add another run to the lead. Gomez became the first player to hit multiple home runs in the game in the next inning as he finished the day with five RBIs.
 
“All of us came out ready to battle,” Gomez said. “The past couple of years, they knocked us out. This year, we’re just sticking with our process, staying on line drives, and the ball was going out of the yard for us, which was great.”
 
Aside from giving up a two-run home run in the third inning, A.J. Woodall had a clean outing to earn his eighth win of the season. He threw eight innings with six strikeouts and two walks, scattering five hits.  His eight innings of work also helped keep the Cougars’ bullpen fresh for Saturday, when the Cougars have two chances to win one game. Declan Kearney and Nick Estrella are both available to start on Saturday.
 
Five Cougars finished the game with multiple hits and Tovalin finished the game a triple away from the cycle after hitting his 18th home run of the season. Dykstra also went 2 for 4 with two runs, while Herrera finished 2 for 3 with a walk and two runs.