The Eagles took two out of three games in an important road series at The Master’s University on March 17-18, then defeated Providence Christian College in a non-conference home contest on March 21. Biola now owns a 20-11 overall record and an 8-7 mark within the Golden State Athletic Conference.
Pitching Gems
In the first game against Master’s, senior starting pitcher Jimmy Gallarda threw 8.2 innings, limiting the Mustangs to four runs while receiving plenty of offensive support from his teammates. The Eagles crossed the plate seven times in the victory, thanks in part to key hits from sophomore second baseman Anj Bourgeois, sophomore third baseman Joey Magro and junior outfielder Trey Holly.
Biola and Master’s resumed action less than 24 hours later to start the March 18 doubleheader between the two squads. In the first game, a scoreless relief effort from junior pitcher Buddy Brouwer kept the game tied at two after nine frames, forcing extra innings. The Eagles struck in the 10th when a triple from senior outfielder Jeremy Barth brought home Holly and Magro. Brouwer allowed the Mustangs to get within one in the bottom half of the frame, but junior closer Daniel Jang recorded the final two outs to seal the win.
Biola dropped the final matchup of the series, however, as junior starter Wyatt Haccou threw a complete game but proved unable to keep the Mustangs from mustering just enough offense to earn a season-saving 5-4 win. Haccou recorded a season-high seven strikeouts in the effort.
Rainy & wild winning effort
The Eagles returned to their winning ways, however, during a rain-shortened March 21 game against Providence. Magro excelled once again, recording two hits, two runs and a walk in the five-inning affair. The Eagles took a 5-3 lead into the sixth inning, but the Sea Beggars scored eight runs and Biola scored six. However, because the game was called before the third recorded out of the sixth, the score reverted back to 5-3, giving Biola the win.
The Eagles will attempt to carry that momentum into a crucial weekend series against Hope International University, the importance of which hasn’t been lost on the team.
“It’s huge. Biggest series so far this year,” Magro said. “They’re in third, we’re in fourth. If we win this series, we’ll be looking really good for the future and getting into the GSAC tournament.”
The matchup between Biola and HIU takes place on March 24 and 25 at Eagles Diamond, with the first game starting at 3 p.m.
