LA MIRADA, Calif. --- After losing a one-run lead it had held since the second inning, the Biola offense unloaded on Whittier College for seven runs in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 9-4 non-conference win Tuesday afternoon at Eagles Diamond. 

Biola improved to 22-17 with its fourth win in its last five games while the Poets dropped to 10-18 on the season.

Senior Nick Rotkowitz provided the winning spark, doubling home the tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth inning to save it for the Eagles. 

The Eagles jumped out in front in the second when sophomore Brent Opdyke blasted a ball off the netting in right center for his fourth home run of the year. 

Biola added another run in the third thanks to some small-ball. Pace singled to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and reached third on an infield groundout. Brent Chavez then drove home Pace with a single through the left-side to make it 2-0.

Biola starter Derek Dietzen seemed to be getting comfortable on the mound as he exited after 4-2/3 innings without giving up a run. 

However, Dietzen did leave the bases loaded and a wild pitch by the Eagle's bullpen allowed John Fugazi to score, making it a one-run game. 

The Biola bullpen held the lead through the eighth. Alexander got off to a sluggish start, walking the first two batters he faced on 10 pitches. However, he rebounded with a pair of strikeouts and held an 0-2 count on Fugazi before allowing a double down the right field line which tied the game at 2-2. Taylor Fallon followed  with a two-run single to give Whittier a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.

But Biola responded quickly in the bottom of the frame. Pace started the inning off with a solo home run to pull the Eagles back within one. The next batter, Vinnie Fayard, reached on an error and Chris Foreman followed with a single. Chavez then hit a soft fly ball to right that was dropped as Lorenzo Lopez, who was trying to turn a double play a bit prematurely. 

Rotkowitz then gave the Eagles back the lead with a two-run double which bounced just inside the left field line making it a 5-4 lead. The Eagles added four more runs in the inning capped by a Hawkins Gebbers RBI-single and a two-run triple off the bat of Taylor Loop.

Billy Vopinek pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the win for the Eagles, though it was not a save situation. Vopinek, who earned GSAC Player of the Week honors last week, leads the GSAC with 12 saves and holds an impressive 0.34 ERA.

Junior Steven Alexander picked up the win to improve to 4-2. Martin Bueno was hung with the loss after Whittier committed two errors behind him in the bottom of the eighth. 

Biola hits the road to play its second of three non-conference games this week, facing Cal Sate Dominguez Hills Thursday (Apr. 9) at 3:00 p.m. The Eagles travel to El Cajon on Friday (Apr. 10) to make up a GSAC doubleheader against San Diego Christian starting at Noon.