Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Senior transfer Nick Coyveau had two hits in as many at bats including a triple to drive in the first two runs of the game as Biola pulled away late for a 9-2 win in its season-opener on Friday afternoon against La Sierra University.
The Eagles move to 1-0 on the young season while dropping the Golden Eagles to 0-5.
Covyeau, who came to Biola from Arizona Christian University, reached base in each of his first four plate appearances as an Eagle. He recorded the two-run triple in the first and singled in the seventh, sandwiched between a hit by a pitch and walked.
Biola opened the scoring early with a pair of runs in the first. Sophomore Johnny Farrington recorded a one-out triple down the right field line which was followed by Vinnie Fayard reaching on a hit-by-pitch. Covyeau then tripled the pair home to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead.
Despite the fast start, Biola would go hitless over the next four innings while La Sierra started to string some hits together. The Golden Eagles had their first real chance in the third, but were stopped short as Michael Annunziata gunned out the potential first run at the plate from right field.
La Sierra was able to get its first run in the sixth thanks to three singles, the last of which came off the bat of Ryan Diaz and pushed across the first run to cut the Biola lead in half.
The Eagles answered right back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. Covyeau started things off with a walk and Welsey Cottier reached on a dropped fly ball in center. Sage Poland collected Biola's first hit since the first, driving a double to right center to plate courtesy runner Paul Slater. James Petrilli then followed with a single to make it a 4-1 game.
La Sierra added another run in the top of the eighth on a double by Joe Mascarenaz, who came around to score on back-to-back wild pitches. After another Golden Eagle reached on a walk and stole second, Annunziata again came up big, making a diving catch to end the threat.
In the bottom of the frame, the Eagles got that run back and more, tallying five runs to pull away. After scoring the first run of the inning on a balk, Annunziata drove home the second run with an RBI-single to right. Two batters later, Benji Sutherland drove home a run on a ground-out with Vinnie Fayard and Wesley Cottier knocking home runs with singles to cap the scoring.
Biola starter Nick Turner went six innings to pick up the win, allowing just one run on eight hits, striking out eight in his season debut. Junior Alex Box, a transfer from Centralia College in Washington State, was solid in relief, picking up the save by striking out four and allowing just one run on two hits over the final three innings.
After just two hits through the first five innings, Biola finished the game with nine hits over the final three. Coyveau was one of three Eagles to record two hits in the game. Sage Poland and Fayard each tallied a pair of hits in four at-bats with Poland scoring two runs as well.
Biola has a short layoff, returning to action on Saturday with a doubleheader against the University of La Verne at Eagles Diamond beginning at 11:00 a.m.
