GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. — Senior Jimmy Johnson took a no-hitter into the ninth before settling for a one-hit, complete game shutout as Biola beat Concordia 9-0 in the first game of a GSAC doubleheader on Saturday at Eagles Diamond in La Mirada.
Biola (11-6, 6-5 GSAC) held on for a 4-2 win over Concordia (4-7, 3-6 GSAC) in the nightcap on home runs by Hawkins Gebbers and Brent Chavez.
Johnson (5-0) threw 8-2/3 innings of no-hit ball before Concordia's Michael Gonzalez lined a single through the right side of the infield with two out in the top of the ninth. He was then able to wrap up the game on the next pitch getting Greg Davidson to pop out on the infield.
Johnson allowed just one baserunner through the first eight innings, walking Cameron Bayne to open the third. However Bayne was quickly retired as Aric Weinberg hit into a double play to end the inning.
Biola's offense started slow but blew the game open with five runs in the seventh innings. The Eagles got a run in the bottom of the first inning of game one to get the ball rolling. Chris Foreman opened the game with a single, stole second, was moved to third on a groundout by Nick Rotkowitz and scored on a single by Kris Cook.
Biola would add two more in the fifth. Brent Chavez led off the frame with a single which was followed by a double by Daniel Bodemer. On the play, Chavez was thrown out trying to reach third and he and Concordia third baseman Matt Ross began a bit of pushing a shoving. After calm had been restored, both players were ejected from the game.
However, Biola was not done in the inning as Foreman reached on an infield single, then Rotkowitz plated the second run of the game with a suicide squeeze. Hawkins Gebbers then scored Foreman with a single to make it 3-0.
After Biola added another run in the sixth, the Eagles exploded for five runs in the seventh. The big blow came off the bat of Chad Pace, who hit a bases-clearing double to put Biola up 8-0. He then scored on a single by pinch-hitter DJ Harbenson to cap the scoring.
Biola's long run without a no-hitter continues as an Eagle pitcher hasn't thrown a no-no since 1970. That year Biola's Paul Romero tossed a no-hitter in an 8-0 win over Cal Baptist in the final game of the regular season.
In game two, Biola again scored first as Gebbers blasted a two-run homer to leftfield to give Biola a quick 2-0 lead. Gebbers added a solo shot in the bottom of the fifth to up Biola up 3-0.
Concordia got a run back in the sixth inning with three straight two-out singles. Biola picked up a big insurance run in the bottom of the inning as Gebbers led off with a double which was followed by a pair of singles by Kris Cook and David West. West's single to left drove in Gebbers to put Biola up 4-1.
Things got a bit dicey in the top of the seventh as Concordia loaded the bases with one out. Tim Nolan came in for Biola and struck out Beau Poteet for the second out of the inning. However, he walked Matt Ross to force in a run, but was able to get Nathan Dean to ground back to the mound to end the game.
Senior Josh Baas (2-1) picked up the win for Biola, allowing just one run on three hits over 5-2/3 innings, while Nolan earned his first save of the year.
Chavez finished the day going 3-for-3 and reaching base in each of his four plate appearances. Gebbers also had a strong day, going 4-for-6 with the two-run homer.
Biola returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 6), hosting California Baptist in a single GSAC game at 2:30 p.m.
