Master’s Falls to Weaver, Azusa Pacific

Pitcher Dean Weaver of Azusa Pacific has a knack for understatements and throwing letter-high fastballs that tail away from right-handed hitters.

Consider Weaver’s analysis of the eight runs he allowed The Master’s College in the first inning of his last start against the Mustangs.

“I had trouble in the first inning against them,” Weaver said.

Disaster was more like it.

But Weaver, a senior left-hander, is also resilient--which he proved Thursday.

He pitched a five-hitter and the Cougars pounded out 17 hits in routing Master’s, 12-2, in the first round of the NAIA District 3 championship tournament at Westmont College in Montecito. The game was called in the eighth inning because of the 10-run mercy rule.

The Mustangs (24-25) need a victory over Westmont, a 4-1 loser to Cal Baptist, in a losers’-bracket game today to avoid elimination.

For the Mustangs, Thursday’s game was nothing like their last outing against Weaver when they scored nine runs off him en route to an 18-14 victory.

The Cougars (37-12-1) supplied the offense this time, including Mike Lujan’s three-run home run in the first, Ruben Campas’ game-ending home run and John Alexander’s bases-loaded triple in a five-run seventh.

Azusa Pacific Coach Tony Barbone breathed a sigh of relief after Weaver had sailed through the first few innings.

“I’m not sure why Dean struggles in the first, but he always has since he’s been at Azusa,” Barbone said.

Barbone planned to start Ron Bush but opted for Weaver, despite his last outing, after learning of Bush’s sore arm.

The decision paid off. Weaver (5-1) held Master’s to a single through four innings and gave up just one extra-base hit--Tim Kane’s sixth-inning double.

Ralph Acosta ignited the Cougars’ first scoring rally with a two-out single to center. Pat Woods followed with a walk before Lujan drilled David Mayr’s first pitch over the right-field fence for a three-run home run.

The Cougars squandered a scoring opportunity in the second when Chris Stevens looked at a third strike, stranding two runners.