Biola baseball took the field 30 minutes after pummeling Vanguard University 17-2 looking to sweep Saturday’s doubleheader, but a controversial extra-inning call at third base ultimately doomed the Eagles as the Lions squeaked out a 4-3 win.
After forcing extras with a two-run, seventh-inning rally, Vanguard threatened with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the eighth. Freshman starting pitcher Trevor Oaks — who pitched all eight innings of game two — coaxed a soft ground ball to junior third baseman David McNeill who attempted to put the tag on the Vanguard runner advancing from second to third.
“It was a high chopper so I knew I had to tag the runner because there was no play at first,” McNeill said. “He ran around me out of the base line where I tagged.”
Once the runner dodged McNeill to avoid the tag, everyone in red expected the third out and a chance to win the game in the bottom half of the inning. But the umpires ruled the runner safe at home, giving Vanguard a one-run lead.
“He never touched third base and that is what we are appealing,” McNeill said. “The run should not have counted.”
Verhoeven, Eagles’ coaching staff protesting game
Immediately after the umpires ruled the runner at home safe, Biola head coach John Verhoeven rushed to home plate and contested the call to no avail. Verhoeven then alerted both umps that he wanted the remainder of the game played under protest, certain that the call could be reviewed and eventually overturned.
“Our argument is foolproof,” senior center fielder Benji Sutherland said.
Players believe the umpires ultimately made the call based on Major League Baseball rules, indicating that since the runner at third passed the bag and was then tagged, he was no longer a force out, allowing the runner scoring at home to count even though three outs had been made. But this rule doesn’t apply in college — both in NCAA and NAIA — and that is precisely what is being protested.
“He seemed sure that there would be a good possibility it would get overturned,” McNeill said of Verhoeven, “but at the same time he reminded us to be focused on the next series.”
By Monday, both teams will know whether the protested call has been upheld or overturned.
Eagles mount yet another late-inning rally
Biola trailed for the majority of the game, failing to put a run on the board until the sixth inning when junior first baseman Nick Oddo homered for the second straight game. An inning later, after loading the bases with a pair of singles and a walk, freshman catcher Sam Thorne plated his team-leading 20th and 21st RBIs of the year to tie the game and send the Eagles’ dugout into a frenzy.
Junior second baseman Michael Annunziata singled a batter later but sophomore infielder Kona Olson — who was pinch running for Oddo — was thrown out at the plate, sending the game into extra innings.
“[Verhoeven] was happy with the fact that we were resilient as a team and gave ourselves a chance to get a win,” McNeill said.
Oaks pitches all eight innings, suffers tough loss
Coming off his worst outing of his freshman campaign, Oaks tossed eight innings and kept the game under control by limiting the Lions to just three runs. Though he could still salvage a win if Biola wins the protest, the loss drops Oaks to 1-3 on the year.
Next up on the schedule is San Diego Christian College as the Eagles will travel south to take on the Hawks in a three-game conference set.
