BOX SCORE

ST. GEORGE, Utah --- Matt Smith hit a pair of home runs and knocked in four to lead Biola University to a 9-3 win over Dixie State College Thursday night in the season opener for both teams.

The Eagles (1-0 overall) received a strong outing from junior lefty Jimmy Johnson who allowed just two runs in six innings to earn his first victory of the season.

Johnson received help from the Biola offense which scored nine runs on 14 hits. Junior Danny Morrow opened the year with a 4-for-5 performance including a home run. Senior Nick Dietzen was 3-for-4 on the afternoon with two runs scored.

The Eagles got on the board with two runs in the first inning, scoring on a Rebel error and a Dietzen RBI single.

After Dixie got a run back in the bottom of the third, Biola struck again on Smith's first home run of the game.

The Rebels closed the gap to one in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out RBI single by Kyle Pratt. However, Morrow struck back in the top of the sixth with a one-out homer to centerfield.

With the Eagles leading 5-2 in the top of the seventh, Biola broke the game open as Smith crushed a three-run homer to left center, scoring Dietzen and pinch-runner Chris Foreman.

Biola's bullpen closed the door after that as freshman Steven Alexander and junior Tom Classman scattered four hits and allowed one run over the final three innings.

The Eagles play the second game of their three-game series with the Rebels on Friday (Feb. 2) with first pitch set for 12 Noon.