BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. — Junior Hawkins Gebbers blasted a grand slam to cap a five-run fifth inning as Biola came back from an early deficit and held on for a 6-5 win over California Baptist in a GSAC game on Wednesday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.
The Eagles improve to 26-11 overall and 16-9 in GSAC play while the Lancers fall to 25-14 on the season and 14-11 in the conference.
The victory was an important one for Biola, which lead Cal Baptist by just one game in the GSAC standings. It also moves the Eagles within four games of first-place Azusa Pacific after the Cougars were crushed by Fresno Pacific at home on Wednesday.
Biola got on the board early as junior Chad Pace hit a solo home run to dead centerfield to put the Eagles up 1-0 in the bottom of the second.
The lead was short-lived, though, as Cal Baptist took advantage of a pair of Biola errors to score three times in the top of the third. The Lancers would add another run in the top of the fourth as they appeared to be pulling away. Cal Baptist starter Kevin Duke was pitching well, allowing just one hit–the solo home run to Pace–over the first four innings while Biola starter Brian Albert had allowed four runs on seven hits through the first four frames. But the momentum quickly switched in Biola's favor in the fifth.
The inning began with Albert retiring the Lancers in order for the first time in the game and ended with a five-spot to give the Eagles a 6-4 lead. With one out in the bottom of the inning, Matt McQueen and Steven Alexander recorded back-to-back singles to get things going. After Duke got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Chris Foreman loaded the bases with an infield single. The Lancers would change pitchers after that single, but could find little relief. Rotkowitz drew a five-pitch walk to force in the first run, then Gebbers blasted a grand slam to left field to cap the scoring.
Things got interesting late as the Lancers loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. On came Biola closer Tim Nolan, who walked the first batter he faced to make it 6-5, but then got a pop out and ground out to end the threat. He retired the heart of the CBU order 1-2-3 in the ninth to earn his fourth save of the season.
Albert finished the day allowing five runs on 10 hits, but scattered just three hits after the fourth inning. He improves to 6-3 on the season with his fourth victory in as many starts.
The home run by Gebbers not only provided support for Albert, but also extended the junior's hitting streak to 22 games. He is just two games shy of the Biola school record of 24 games with a hit set by Randy Brauwer during the 1982 season.
Pace had a great day as well for Biola, going 4-for-4 with a home run. He has been on fire in his last four games, going 9-for-14 with four home runs, six RBIs and five runs scored.
The two teams close out the home-and-home series in Riverside on Thursday (Apr. 10) with first pitch slated for 3:00 p.m.
