Arizona Christian University survived a five-run eighth inning rally to hold off Biola baseball 7-6, handing the Eagles their first series loss of the season.
The loss drops Biola’s record to a 9-4 mark, 5-4 in the Golden State Athletic Conference and into a three-way tie atop the conference with Arizona Christian and The Master’s College.
Despite blowing a five-run lead in the eighth, the Firestorm took the lead back on a Phil Creecy solo home run with one out in the ninth. Senior right-hander Jordan Bryson kept Biola off the board for the final five outs to secure the series win, picking up his first victory of the year.
Annunziata’s grand slam sparks late rally
Trailing 6-1 in the eighth, Biola opened the frame with three consecutive singles setting up junior second baseman Michael Annunziata who launched the team’s third grand slam of the year to bring the Eagles within one.
“I was just trying to get a good pitch to drive,” Annunziata said. “I wasn’t going for it all … just trying to put a good swing on the ball and let the rest take care of itself.”
Four batters later with a runner on second, sophomore right fielder Paul Slater tied the game with an RBI-single, only to have Arizona Christian take the lead right back in the ninth.
“It wasn’t emotionally draining,” Annunziata said about eventually losing the game,” because we know how good we are and our ability to come back in games will help us in the long run.”
Staumont struggles early, fights back to earn quality start
Freshman right-hander Josh Staumont overcame a rough first three frames, a stretch in which he threw more than 70 pitches, to keep the Eagles in contention and earn his first quality start of the year.
Arizona Christian set the table against Staumont in the first for junior outfielder Seth Neely who plated two runs with a double into the right-center field gap. Staumont struck out four of the next seven batters he faced stretching into the third inning before getting into trouble once again. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases for Joel Thys who was hit on the first pitch in the feet by Staumont, forcing home a run to make it 3-0.
Staumont retired 10 of the next 12 Firestorm batters, striking out a third of batters he sent back to the dugout.
Thorne picks up three hits in loss
Freshman third baseman Sam Thorne struck for three hits in Monday’s loss, upping his team-leading batting average to .439. Thorne also leads the Eagles in RBIs with 15.
Biola’s lone 10-plus hitting streak stayed alive as senior center fielder Benji Sutherland picked up two hits to extend the streak to 12.
The Eagles will next visit Azusa Pacific University, starting a four-game set with the former GSAC foe on Thursday at 5 p.m. Big six-foot, eight-inch sophomore right-hander David Schwab will likely get the nod in game one.
