BOX SCORE
CARSON, Calif. — With a strong wind blowing out and Biola saving the bulk of its pitching staff for four big upcoming games this week, Cal State Dominguez Hills scored 24 runs on 26 hits on its way to a 24-10 win over the Eagles on Wednesday in a non-conference game at Toro Field in Carson.
Biola saw its six-game winning streak come to an end, falling to 33-12 on the season while the Toros improve to 20-31 on the season.
The Eagles are in the midst of playing three games in as many days with this one coming on the eve of a huge GSAC game against Fresno Pacific University on Thursday. Biola used the change to rest its pitching staff and give some of its freshman pitchers a chance to see action. But with an inexperienced pitching staff and a stiff wind blowing out, Dominguez Hills racked up a ton of runs.
Biola didn't have much trouble scoring runs either, recording 10 runs on 17 hits in the game.
Freshman starter Bobby O'Neill got things going in the right direction by striking out the side in the bottom of the first. However, that proved to be the only inning in which the Toros failed to score as they tallied seven runs in the second to go up 7-0.
Junior Nick Rotkowitz put Biola on the board in the top of the third with a two-run home run to dead centerfield. Rotkowitz, who finished with two hits in three at bats on the day, extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a first-inning single.
The Toros then added two in the bottom of the third, two more in the fourth and three in the fifth to go up 14-2. At that point, Biola Head Coach John Verhoeven brought in the reserves and Biola scored three runs on five hits in the top of the sixth. DJ Harbeson and Brent Opdyke hit back-to-back RBI-singles for the first two runs of the inning followed by a run-scoring ground out by Josh Burket.
Dominguez Hills added a pair in the sixth then Biola came back with two more in the top of the seventh on a two-run double by Steven Alexander. The Toros broke the game open even more with a six-run bottom of the seventh.
The Eagles would get more production from their reserves with three runs in the top of the eighth thanks to a two-RBI double by Scott Nelson and an RBI single by Gil Banwart.
Senior Nick Lindsey finished the day going 3-for-5 while Matt Hubbard was 2-for-2 off the bench for the Eagles. The No. 2 spot in the order went 4-for-6 with Rotkowitz going 2-for-3 and Alexander replacing him but also going 2-for-3 on the afternoon.
The 24 runs allowed by the Eagles were the most given up since Biola lost 24-7 at Westmont in 1996. However, Biola and Cal State Dominguez Hills have played a number of lopsided games in the rivalry between the two, which is tied at 13-13 after today's game. In 2003, Biola lost 19-3 at Dominguez Hills and fell 22-7 to the Toros in 2002. The Eagles have also won by scores of 11-4 and 10-3 coming in 2004.
Biola now begins the most important stretch of the season beginning with Thursday's game against Fresno Pacific at Eagles Diamond at 3:00 p.m. The Eagles trail the Sunbirds by just one game in the standings for second place in the GSAC and are three back of Azusa Pacific with four games to play. Biola faces the Cougars in a GSAC doubleheader on Saturday in Azusa.
