BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. — Biola freshman Bobby O'Neill scattered six hits over six shutout innings to earn the win in his first collegiate start as the Eagles downed crosstown foe Whittier College 6-0 in a non-conference game on Tuesday afternoon at Eagles Diamond in La Mirada.
Biola improves to 25-11 on the season while dropping the Poets to 12-15-1 overall.
The two teams were locked in a great pitcher's dual through the first five innings before the Eagles broke through with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Biola would add two more in the seventh to provide for the winning margin.
O'Neill was outstanding in his first collegiate start, keeping the Poets off the board while giving up just six hits. He managed to work out of a couple of jams in the game including a tough situation with runners at second and third with no one out in the second. However, he was able to get a line out followed by a pair of flyouts to the rightfielder to end the inning.
After going scoreless through the first five innings, Biola opened the sixth with four straight hits to get on the board. Nick Lindsey and Chris Foreman led off with back-to-back singles followed by a run-scoring double by Nick Rotkowitz. Hawkins Gebbers then drove in two with a double to make it 3-0, then came around to score on a single by Brent Chavez.
The Eagles would add two more runs in the seventh inning as Gebbers and Cook each recorded RBI-doubles.
Whittier starter Justin Armijo went four innings and allowed just four hits but failed to earn the decision in the game. Martin Bueno was saddled with the loss in relief as he surrendered four runs on five hits over 1-1/3 inning. He falls to 1-1 on the season.
Junior Charlie Gausepohl gave up a pair of hits in two innings for the Eagles in relief with Steven Alexander pitching the ninth to wrap up the game.
Gebbers went 3-for-4 on the afternoon with a pair of doubles to extend his hitting-streak to 21 games on the season. He is just three short of the school record of 24 set during the 1982 season. Over the course of the streak, Gebbers is batting .493 (36-of-73).
Despite being just five miles apart from each other, this was the first game between the two schools since the 2001 season. Biola now leads the all-time series 37-17 including today's contest.
Biola returns to GSAC play on Wednesday (Apr. 9) hosting the first game of a crucial home-and-home series against California Baptist University at 3:00 p.m.
###