BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Junior Nick Rotkowitz went 4-for-5 and senior Kris Cook drove in three runs to lead Biola to an 8-5 win over Vanguard University in a Golden State Athletic Conference game on Thursday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.
The Eagles improve to 8-4 on the season and 3-3 in GSAC play with their third-straight victory. The Lions fall to 6-5 and 2-4 in conference action.
Junior Brian Albert allowed five runs on seven hits over seven innings to pick up his first win of the season. Albert (1-2) had received just one run of run support in his previous two outings, though that didn't seem to be a problem in today's game as Biola scored eight runs on 12 hits in support.
Albert struck out the first two batters of the game, but allowed a two-out single to Derek Craddock followed by a monster two-run homer by Jason Machado.
The Eagles answered right back in the bottom of the inning with a three-spot to take back the lead. Rotkowitz doubled to deep center with one out, then Cook matched Machado's moonshot with one of his own, this time a deep drive to right. That was followed by a walk to David West, who stole second and then scored on a single by Chad Pace.
Biola added another in the second as Matt McQueen collected his first hit of the game, the scored on a single by Rotkowitz. That single chased the Lion's starter Christopher Carls (1-1), who allowed four runs on five hits and lasted just 1-2/3 innings.
Vanguard tied the game in the fourth inning with two runs as the first three batters reached on singles. Kenneth Dobbs recorded the third single to drive in Craddock, then Machado tied the game by scoring on a wild pitch.
The Eagles would respond again with two runs in the bottom of the inning as Chris Foreman drove home McQueen with a sacrifice fly and Hawkins Gebbers plated Brent Chavez with an RBI-groundout to make it 6-4.
The score remained the same through the next three innings until Vanguard pulled within one in the eighth. Luke Iverson opened the frame with a single and reached second on an error by Chavez in left. Albert was lifted after a four-pitch walk to Kyle Bondurant and replaced by Justin Rodriguez, who coaxed a groundout from Craddock.
Tim Nolan then came on and walked Machado to load the bases. Dobbs then hit a sacrifice fly to score Iverson, but Zach Leighton–the offensive hero in Vanguard's win over Biola last week–flied out to center to end the inning. Leighton, who was 3-for-4 in last week's game, was hitless in four at-bats in today's game.
Biola added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Cook and a Vanguard error.
Sophomore Steven Alexander then came on in the ninth and struck out the side to pick up his first save of the year.
The Eagles were able to score two runs off Vanguard's Richard Jessup, who relieved Carls in the second inning. Jessup, who threw a complete-game, five-hit shutout when the two teams met last week, pitched 4-2/3 innings, allowing five hits, two walks and two unearned runs.
West finished the day going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and a run scored. McQueen continued his hot hitting with a 2-for-4 day including two runs scored.
Biola returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 23), traveling north to face The Master's College in a GSAC doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.
