BOX SCORE
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Despite an outstanding pitching performance by junior lefthander Jimmy Johnson, Biola suffered a 3-1 loss at the hands of California Baptist University in the first round of the 2007 NAIA Region II baseball tournament on Friday night at Woodcrest Christian High School in Riverside.
The No. 5-seeded Eagles drop to 28-23 on the season with the loss but are still alive in the double elimination tournament and face No. 6 seed Patten University on Tuesday (May 8) at 11:00 a.m. at Azusa Pacific University. The Lions nearly pulled off a huge upset, falling 6-5 to No. 1 APU as the Cougars scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to avoid the loss.
The Lancers, the No. 2 seed in the regional, improve to 35-16 on the year and will take on No. 4 seed Concordia on Tuesday. Concordia knocked off No. 3 Pt. Loma Nazarene 3-1 in the other first round matchup.
Johnson (7-4) allowed just three runs and had eight strikeouts over 7-1/3 innings pitched, but suffered the tough loss. Cal Baptist ace Steve Goins was just a bit better, allowing just one run on four hits over eight innings, striking out nine and walking two.
The Lancers got on the board first with a run in the bottom of the third as Aaron Seuss doubled home Jordan Monroe, who opened the frame with a single.
They went up 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as Zach Aguirre blasted the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence.
Biola got that run back in the top of the sixth as Bobby Slater hit a home run to the same spot as Aguirre's to make it a one-run game again.
However, the Lancers would get a big insurance run in the bottom of the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Seuss to again score Monroe.
Biola would only threaten twice in the game, once in the third and the final time in the ninth. In the third, the Eagles put runners at second and third with two down, but Slater's drive to centerfield was snared by Monroe, who held onto the ball despite colliding with leftfielder DJ Hair.
In the ninth, Biola opened the inning with a walk to Slater. Kris Cook then reached on a throwing error to put runners at first and second with no one out. However, CBU closer Brandon Daily struck out Hawkins Gebbers and coaxed a fly out from David West. With runners on the corners and one out, Cook attempted to steal second, but home plate umpire ruled that batter Matt McQueen interfered with the catcher's throw to second, giving the Lancers the final out they desperately needed.
Cal Baptist recorded 11 hits but stranded 13 on base as Johnson continually worked out of jam after jam, keeping the Eagles in the game.
