BOX SCORE
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — Biola pounded out 16 hits and scored 12 runs and cruised to an easy 12-0 win over Westmont College in a GSAC game on Wednesday afternoon at Russ Carr Field in Santa Barbara.
The Eagles improve to 14-7 on the season and 9-6 in GSAC competition with their ninth win in the last 12 games, while dropping the Warriors to 4-13 overall and 2-12 in the conference.
Senior pitcher Josh Baas (4-1) picked up the win with a masterful performance, allowing just two hits and striking out six over six innings. Three pitchers wrapped up the game, pitching an inning each to preserve the shutout.
Offensively, Biola's Hawkins Gebbers and Brent Chavez led the way with three hits a piece. Gebbers' three hits extends his season-high six game hitting streak and ups his batting average to .397. However, he still trails Chavez, whose three hits bumps his average up to .407.
The Eagles opened the game with four runs in the first inning as five of the first six batters reached base. Chris Foreman drew a leadoff walk, then came all the way around to score on a double to deep right centerfield by Nick Rotkowitz. Gebbers followed with an RBI-double to left center and was moved to third on a single by Kris Cook. Brent Opdyke followed that with a sacrifice fly to score Gebbers, then Chavez recorded his first hit of a the game–an RBI-single–to score Cook.
Biola had two runners thrown out at the plate in the second and failed to score in the third, but came back with three runs in both the fourth and fifth innings.
In the fourth, Matt McQueen and Chad Pace kicked off the inning with singles and moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Foreman than drove in McQueen with a sacrifice fly and Rotkowitz drove home Pace with a single. Gebbers then recorded his third hit of the day and second RBI with a single to plate Rotkowitz. Biola took advantage of three wild pitches in the inning as Westmont pitches committed 10 on the afternoon.
Biola's fifth inning started out with a run scoring on an error followed by a two-RBI double by Foreman to put the team up 10-0.
The Eagles added two runs in the ninth as Matt Hubbard had a two-out single followed RBI-doubles from David West and Nick Lindsey to cap the scoring.
Meanwhile, Justin Rodriguez, Tim Nolan and Steven Alexander tossed an inning of shutout ball to preserve the win.
Westmont starter Chris Plance (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on 10 hits over 3-1/3 inning.
Biola returns home for a key doubleheader against arch-rival and No. 2-ranked Azusa Pacific University on Saturday beginning at Noon. The Eagles, who are currently tied for third with the Master's College, have a chance to move within a half game of the Cougars with a sweep of the doubleheader.
