Biola baseball came out swinging at Eagles Diamond in their second doubleheader matchup against the Azusa Pacific University Cougars this weekend. Game one was won in thrilling fashion down to the last inning, 7-3, but game two was cut short as the game was suspended due to lightning.
GAME ONE THRILLER
Game one was a scoring fest for Biola. During the bottom of the second inning, the Eagles secured the first three runs of the night. Junior catcher Ben Smith hit a single that allowed for base rotation, bringing redshirt senior third baseman Jacob Portaro through home plate. Moments later, senior center fielder Johnny Sage singled up the middle and gave way for redshirt sophomore outfielder Ryan Greenlee and junior first baseman Jackson Collins to score.
With Biola now up 3-0, the Cougars began their fight back. Two scoreless innings went by until the top of the fifth inning produced three runs in favor of APU who tied up the game. It then turned into a waiting game as both the Eagles and Cougars went on for six straight innings of scoreless play. It was not until the bottom of the 12th inning when a home run by junior outfielder Brandon Cody brought the loaded bases through home plate and a four-point victory was secured, 7-3.
GAME TWO CUT SHORT
However, game two did not follow the same energy brought by Biola from game one. Both teams stayed at zero throughout the first three innings. It was not until the fourth inning that both teams would score a single run each. APU followed up with three more points in the top of the fifth inning, while Biola was only able to secure two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Eagles continued their scoring efforts with three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. But APU remained resilient, matching the energy and scoring three runs for their own. When the bottom of the seventh inning rolled around, lightning struck and abruptly suspended play until further notice. The game stands at APU ahead by one, 7-6.
The Eagles now sit at a 5-12 overall record as they prepare to host Point Loma Nazarene University for another doubleheader on Friday, April 16 starting at 12 p.m.
