BOX SCORE

AZUSA, Calif. --- Nick Dietzen hit a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to seal the deal as Biola University eliminated Cal Baptist in the NAIA Region II playoffs for the second straight season, winning 12-8 on Wednesday afternoon at Cougar Field in Azusa.

The Eagles improve to 30-23 on the season while the Lancers wrapped up their season at 35-18. Biola now takes on the tournament's No. 1 seed, Azusa Pacific, which was upset by Concordia in the morning game. The loser of the game is eliminated while the winner faces Concordia on Thursday, needing a pair of wins to win the regional title.

Biola opened things up with a run in the first inning on a two-out RBI single by David West, but did most of the damage in the third. The Eagles sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs capped by a grand slam by Matt McQueen to make it 8-0.

After Biola added another run in the top of the fifth to take a 9-0 lead, Cal Baptist began to claw its way back. The Lancers scored four in the bottom of the fifth thanks in part to a three-run bomb by designated hitter Kevin Wright.

Cal Baptist then scored one more in the sixth on a home run by Steve Goins, then added two in the seventh on a solo home run by pinch-hitter Jordan Lowe and an RBI-single by Aaron Seuss.

The Lancers pulled within a single run in the bottom of the eighth as Steve Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly.

Dietzen's three-run homer with one out in the ninth provided the Eagles with some much-needed insurance, though Biola closer Greg Matson may not have needed it. Matson retired the final five batters of the game for the 1-2/3 inning save, his fifth of the year.