BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Unlike Julius Ceaser in 44 BC, Biola managed to survive an over-throw attempt, beating Cal State San Marcos 15-7 in a non-conference game on Thursday afternoon at Eagles Diamond in La Mirada.
The Eagles have now won 13 straight games and improve to 17-5 on the season. The Cougars fall to 7-14 with the loss.
Biola continued its offensive attack, pounding out 21 hits and scoring 15 runs. It was the eighth time in the Eagles' nine March games that they have recorded double-digit hits and the seventh time they have scored at least 10 runs.
However, things got off to an auspisious start for Biola as Cal State San Marcos scored four runs on just two hits off Eagle starter Jordan Litle.
But Biola came back with a five-spot in its half of the third inning to take back the lead. The Eagles hit four doubles in the inning with Danny Morrow and Matt Smith driving in runs with doubles.
Biola then blew the game wide open in the bottom of the fourth inning, sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs. Just one out was recorded through the first nine batters, but it was on a sacrifice fly to deep rightfield by Morrow.
Cal State San Marcos would score two more in the fifth and another in the seventh but it was too little, too late.
Derek Dietzen recorded the win in relief, pitching four strong innings, allowing just two runs on five hits and striking out three. Four other Eagle pitchers tossed an inning each to wrap up the game.
Every Biola starter recorded at least one hit with Chris Foreman, Scott Nelson and Daniel Bodemer each recording three hits. Bodemer, who now has an eight-game hitting streak, also blasted his first collegiate home run in the game, driving a solo shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Eagles' 13-game winning streak is the third longest in school history, just one shy of the school record of 14 which was last done in 1999. Over that stretch, Biola raised its team batting average 35 points from .293 to .328. The Eagles' team ERA has also plumetted from 5.91 to 4.32.
Biola will attempt to match the school record for consecutive wins in one of its biggest doubleheaders of the season. The Eagles travel down to San Diego on Saturday (Mar. 17) to take on No. 9 Point Loma Nazarene in a doubleheader set to begin at Noon.
