BOX SCORE
AZUSA, Calif. — Despite throwing a complete game including a season-high 13 strikeouts, Jimmy Johnson suffered the loss as Biola dropped into the losers bracket with an 8-5 loss to Fresno Pacific on Thursday night on the second day of the NAIA Region II baseball tournament in Azusa.
The Eagles, ranked No. 20 in the NAIA polls and the No. 3 seed in the tournament, drop to 35-17 on the season. Biola will face the No. 6 seed Concordia University in a loser-out game at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The winner of that game must come back and win another loser-out game at 5:30 p.m. to remain in the tournament.
The No. 10-ranked Sunbirds, who are the second seed, improve to 36-12 and advance to face No. 1 seed Azusa Pacific at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Johnson, the workhorse of the staff all season long, threw 154 pitches over eight innings, for his sixth complete game of the year. He gave up 15 hits and seven earned runs while striking out 13. Johnson's biggest trouble came on two Fresno Pacific swings which tallied five Sunbird runs.
Fresno Pacific jumped out to a big lead in the bottom of the first inning, scoring five runs capped by a three-run home run off the bat of Anthony Lowell.
Biola fought back with two runs in the top of the second inning thanks to RBI-singles by Brent Chavez and Chris Foreman. The Eagles added two more runs in the third inning as Chad Pace hit a sacrifice fly and Matt McQueen recorded an RBI-single to make it 5-4.
But Fresno Pacific got two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run home run by Case Rigby to put the Sunbirds up 7-4. They would add another run in the sixth on an RBI-single by pinch-hitter Aaron Lynn which would make it 8-4.
Meanwhile Fresno Pacific starter Jacob Burns retired nine-straight Biola batters after struggling through the first three innings. Over that stretch he recorded six strikeouts including four straight. That streak was broken with a solo home run by Kris Cook in the seventh inning.
Biola had a great chance to pull closer in the eighth inning as they finally got to the Fresno Pacific bullpen. The Eagles loaded the bases with one out, but Antone Ontiveros got a strikeout and a fly out to end the threat.
Fresno Pacific closer Daniel Brodie came on in the ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season.
Burns allowed three earned runs on 11 hits but nearly matched Johnson with 11 strikeouts in the game. He finished with 110 pitches over 7-1/3 innings to run his record to 7-1 on the season.
Biola's Kris Cook finished the day going 3-for-5 after moving into the No. 2 spot for the first time this season. Chris Foreman went 2-for-5 while Brent Chavez picked up two hits in four at bats.
The Eagles now face a tough up-hill battle to win the regional crown as they must win their next four games. Biola would need to win two games on Thursday just to reach the final two-game championship series on Friday.
