The Biola baseball team dropped three of four games this week to Fresno Pacific. The team’s record fell to 23-19 overall and 15-17 in GSAC play.
The Eagles now find themselves tied for fifth place with The Master’s College with only four games remaining in the season. Ironically enough, Biola begins a four-game series with Master’s beginning April 27.
Fresno Pacific and Biola began the first game of their four game series by tallying a total of 50 runs.
After a slow start to the game, the Sunbirds broke it open with a 10-run third inning. Biola failed to respond until the seventh inning before erupting for twelve runs to take a one run lead.
Senior Trevor Blood began the inning with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Armando Arzate. 11 more players would touch the plates before the inning would come to an end.
Biola failed to hold the lead however, allowing Fresno Pacific to explode yet again in the eighth inning. Junior Alex Brueske was called to try and close the game, but the Sunbirds would show no mercy as they scored eleven runs. Brueske gave up the third home run of the game and allowed the lead to slip away.
The Eagles would be held scoreless in the final two innings, dropping the game with a final score of 19-31.
In the second game, both teams cooled off offensively as Biola came from behind to defeat Fresno 7-5.
In the eighth inning, Biola began its comeback. After Blood singled up the middle, freshman Benji Sutherland was walked. With two on base, junior Brian Loard hit a two-run double down the left field line. Sophomore Mike Lopez kept things going as he belted a home run to center field for two more runs.
Senior Dale Harder then took the mound and secured the victory for Biola, striking out the first two batters and forcing a pop fly for the last out.
In their second series, Biola jumped out early with four runs in the first inning. Blood led the way with a grand slam, while Junior Garrett Leon gave the Eagles some extra room, driving in two runs on a two-run RBI single up the middle.
Despite the strong offensive output by Biola, the Sunbirds continued to chip away at the lead scoring three in the fourth and five in the sixth.
The Sunbirds completed their own come-from-behind win and secured the 17-13 victory.
The second game began much like the first game did as Blood hit a two-run home run to left center field. Fresno tied the game with two runs before the closing of the first inning. The two teams traded runs over the next few innings. The Eagles were held scoreless in the final three innings, giving Fresno the victory.
Biola begins its four game series with Masters Wednesday April 27. Both teams are tied for fifth in the GSAC, standing two games ahead of Concordia with a 15-17 record. The top six teams in the conference advance to the GSAC Championship tournament.
