Westmont College defeated Biola baseball twice in Saturday afternoon’s home doubleheader, limiting the Eagles to just four runs over 16 innings, winning 16-3 and 5-1.
The Eagles haven’t given up 16 runs since a 16-7 loss last season at Azusa Pacific University.
Biola’s freshman starters Josh Staumont and Trevor Oaks — who have only registered one win in each of their last five outings — continued to struggle on the mound, with Staumont’s game-one loss setting the tone. The Warriors struck for three runs on four hits off the right-hander in the first inning and added a run in each of the next two frames.
Head coach John Verhoeven pulled Staumont in the sixth after he gave up his ninth hit, setting the stage for three Biola relievers — juniors Javier Martinez and Erick Allen and freshman Sean Rothfuss — allowing Westmont to blow the game wide open. The Warriors tacked on 11 more runs, eight earned over the next 3.2 innings on eight hits and four walks.
Staumont’s nine hits surrendered were the most since he allowed 10 at Concordia University Irvine on Feb. 23 in just 3.2 innings.
“This is baseball,” Staumont said. “[Westmont] was in a slump and they broke it today without a doubt.”
Westmont entered today’s games in last place in the Golden State Athletic Conference, averaging just 4.5 runs in conference matchups.
Warriors left fielder Kevin Hammer had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-5 including a two-run single in the first inning that gave Westmont an early 3-0 lead. Leadoff man Chris Stroh’s bases clearing double in the seventh was his second hit of the day and extended the Warriors’ lead to eight.
Eagles shut down by Cohn in game two
Warriors six-foot, five-inch senior right-hander J.P. Cohn gave up a hit per inning to Biola in game two but limited the Eagles to just one run over seven innings while striking out three.
Biola totaled 20 hits in 16 innings off Westmont pitching but managed only four runs, leaving 21 runners on base.
Sophomore infielder Tanner Swire got a rare start at third base in game two and singled with the bases loaded in the fourth to plate Biola’s only run off Cohn.
Biola’s game-two starter Oaks let Westmont on the board in the opening frame for the third time in the series. He gave up four earned runs on 11 hits in seven innings on the way to his second straight loss and fourth loss in his last five outings. Oaks hadn’t given up double digit hits since Feb. 22, the same day Staumont struggled at Concordia.
Thorne’s bat remains red hot
Biola’s only bright spot while being swept was freshman catcher Sam Thorne’s sizzling hot bat. After a three-hit game in yesterday’s win, Thorne went 5-for-6 during today’s games to up his season average to a team-leading .368.
Junior left fielder Vince Lawrence went 2-for-8 with two doubles and two RBIs, batting leadoff in game two replacing the Eagles’ injured right fielder Paul Slater.
The sophomore left game one during his at-bat in the bottom of the third after aggravating a nagging foot and was not in Verhoeven’s lineup in the second game.
“It’s a bummer we didn’t play to the best of our ability,” senior center fielder Benji Sutherland said.
Consistency, says Sutherland, will be the key as the Eagles have a quick turnaround this week starting a three-game set in Phoenix, Ariz. with Arizona Christian University on Wednesday.
“We just got to bounce back and keep playing as a team,” he said.
