BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola fell behind early, but roared back with a five-run third inning en route to an 8-4 win over Dixie State College (Utah) in a non-conference game on Wednesday afternoon at Eagles Diamond in La Mirada.
The Eagles improve to 16-5 on the season and have now won 12 games in a row--the third longest streak in Biola baseball history. The school record of 14 games was matched twice, the last coming in 1999.
The top off the order provided the bulk of the offense as Danny Morrow, Bobby Slater and Nick Dietzen combined to go 8-for-15 with five RBIs.
Freshman Bryan Owen picked up his first win of the season in his first collegiate start, going five innings and surrending four runs on six hits while striking out three.
Owen pitched well overall, but struggled in the second inning. After allowing a walk and a single, the Rebels' Jesse Stone opened the scoring with a three-run home run to left field to give Dixie a 3-0 lead. The very next pitch was crushed to the far parking lot in left field as Lance Sundloff added another run.
But after giving up a single to the next batter, Owen settled down and retired 12 of the next 14 batters before giving way to the bullpen.
Biola got the runs back in the bottom of the third as the Eagles posted a five-spot in the inning. Morrow drove in the first run with an RBI-single, scoring Tim Wells, who led the inning off with a double down the leftfield line.
Dietzen then added another with an RBI-single before Matt Smith drove in two with another double down the leftfield line. Matt McQueen drove in the go-ahead run, reaching base with a high chopper up the middle.
The Eagles added another run in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI-single by Slater. In the eighth, Biola added a pair of insurance runs with another RBI-single by Slater and an RBI fielder's choice by Nick Dietzen.
Four pitchers closed out the game for the Eagles, each pitching an inning of relief with Jimmy Johnson closing out the game by retiring the side in order in the ninth.
Biola returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 15) with another non-conference game, this time hosting Cal State San Marcos beginning at 3:00 p.m.
