GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- No. 3-ranked Azusa Pacific University slugged its way to a 9-6 and 6-0 doubleheader sweep over No. 9 Biola University in a battle for the top spot in the GSAC on Saturday afternoon on Eagles Diamond in La Mirada.
The Eagles drop to 19-9 on the season and 13-8 in the GSAC and now sit 5-1/2 games back of the Cougars, who are 29-4 overall and 18-3 in conference.
Sophomore Chris Foreman, who leads Biola with a .457 batting average, had the best day for the home squad with a 3-for-6 showing including going 2-for-3 in game one. But the Eagles just couldn't seem to muster much offense against the Azusa Pacific pitching staff, managing just three runs on 11 hits overall.
The Cougars' Scott Hodsdon threw a three-hit shutout to pick up the win in game two, striking out eight to improve to 5-1 on the season. Hodsdon allowed three singles to start the fourth inning, but worked out of the jam by retiring Biola's 3-4-5 hitters in order.
In game one, Azusa Pacific struck early on solo home runs by Stephen Gillette and Hodsdon in the second and third innings, respectively. But Biola was able to tie the score in the bottom of the third on a two-run towering blast by junior shortstop Danny Morrow.
The Cougars took the lead back in the fifth on a two-out, RBI-single by Stephen Kohatsu and added another in the sixth on an RBI-double by Matt Venegas.
Azusa then added two in the seventh and another in the eighth and capped the scoring with a two-run home run by Brice Cutspec in the top of the ninth.
Biola's Matt Smith added the Eagles final run on his sixth homer of the year in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it was too little too late for Biola.
Biola junior lefthander Jimmy Johnson was saddled with his second loss of the season--both to the Cougars--as he allowed seven runs on 14 hits over 7-1/3 innings.
In game two, Azusa jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead with a pair of runs in the first and second innings. Venegas highlighted the second with a two-run inside-the-park home run to stretch the lead to four.
Meanwhile, Hodsdon was making quick work of the Eagles, retiring the first nine batters of the game before allowing the three singles in the fourth. After that, we would retire 13 of the last 14 batters to wrap up his fifth win of the season.
Sophomore Charlie Gausepohl was impressive in his first start of the season despite suffering the loss and dropping to 1-2. He allowed five runs on eight hits over six-plus innings, however most of the damage was done in the first two.
The Eagles have now lost four of their last five games. However, on the bright side, Biola rattled off 14 straight wins after a similar streak earlier in the year.
Biola falls 5-1/2 games behind Azusa in the GSAC standings and also drops 1-1/2 back of Point Loma Nazarene for second place. The Sea Lions swept Westmont this afternoon to pass up the Eagles.
Biola returns to GSAC play on Wednesday (Mar. 28), traveling to face Cal Baptist University in a game under the lights in Riverside with first pitch scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
