BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. — Junior Hawkins Gebbers hit two of Biola's five home runs on the day as the Eagles downed Westmont College 15-6 in a GSAC game on Wednesday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.
Biola improves to 29-12 on the season and 19-10 in GSAC play with its third straight win while the Warriors fall to 8-28 and 4-25 in conference.
The Eagles' offense pounded out a total of 16 hits on the afternoon including nine extra base hits and five home runs. It was the second time this season Biola has hit five home runs in a game, the last time coming just over two weeks ago when the Eagles hit five at Point Loma Nazarene.
Gebbers got Biola's first two runs of the day with a two-run shot in the bottom of the first inning after Westmont scored three in the top of the frame. Gebbers' home run was followed by two batters later by a two-run shot by junior David West to make it 4-3 Biola.
Westmont would tie the game in the second, but Biola responded with a two run in the bottom of the inning on an RBI-double by junior Nick Rotkowitz and a sacrifice fly by senior Kris Cook.
Junior Brent Chavez drove in two more runs for the Eagles in the bottom of the fourth with a double and junior Chad Pace blasted a solo home run to lead off the fifth as Biola went up 9-5.
Westmont drew the game closer with a run in the top of the sixth and another in the seventh to make it 9-7 late in the game. But Biola put the game out of reach with a pair of three-run homers. First up was Gebbers, who blasted his second homer of the game in the seventh to make it 12-6. In the eighth, Rotkowitz connected for his first home run with the Eagles, driving a three-run shot to left field to cap the scoring.
Gebbers finished the day going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBIs. West went 3-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs while Rotkowitz went 3-for-5 with a home run four runs scored and four RBIs.
Brian Albert earned the win for Biola, though it wasn't his strongest outing of the year. Albert allowed six runs–four earned–and walked six over 6-2/3 innings. He did give up just five hits and struck out three to improve to 7-3 on the season.
The victory was the third in as many games against the Warriors this season, though it was the closest of the three thus far. Biola has combined to outscore Westmont 49-11 in those three contests.
The two teams close out the brief two-game series on Thursday (Apr. 17) at 3:00 p.m. on Eagles Diamond.
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