SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- In a game that resembled home run derby more than it did a GSAC baseball game, Biola pounded out six home runs including two by senior Chad Pace to down Westmont 14-10 in a GSAC game on Wednesday at Westmont.

The Eagles (26-18, 17-11 GSAC) saw five players homer in the game as they won their fourth straight and sixth of the last seven. The Warriors fall to 12-28 and to 8-21 in conference action. The two clubs combined for 28 hits while trotting out nine pitchers on the afternoon.

Westmont opened the scoring with a five-run first inning. With two on, Colten Christianson delivered a single while an error helped plate Brent Meschuk from second and Charles Whitman from first. Pete McCarthy then doubled home a run before Tyler Wong doubled home the fourth and fifth runs of the inning.

Biola took over the scoring from there. In the third, Pace belted his first homer of the game to cut the Westmont lead to four. The Eagles struck for two more in the fourth as Hawkins Gebbers singled with one out before sophomore Brent Opdyke cut the lead in half with a two run dinger.

Biola jumped in front for the first time in the game in the fifth when Vinnie Fayard and Chris Foreman singled before Billy Vopinek doubled home both runners. Brent Chavez then came through with a sacrifice fly to plate Vopinek. Gebbers capped the inning with a home run--his team-best ninth of the season.

Westmont regained the lead in the fifth when Sam Wiley homered followed two batters later by a Mark Boujikian two-run homer.

However, the Eagles answered right back. After two quick outs in the sixth, Pace cranked his second homer of the game. Biola then picked up two more runs without the benefit of a hit. Fayard, Foreman, Vopinek and Chavez drew consecutive walks to drive home the first run. Gebbers was then beaned to force in the second straight run and third of the inning.

The Eagles added another in the seventh as pinch hitter Josh Burkett singled. Andre Argaez pinch ran and was moved to third before Fayard delivered a two out single to give the Eagles an 11-8 lead after seven.

Wesmont was able to scratch across a pair of runs in the eighth and ninth innings against Biola's stingy bullpen but a three-run ninth for the Eagles put the game out of harm's way. Steven Alexander led off the ninth by recovering the run he surrendered in the top half, launching his first home run of the year.
Two batters later, Fayard delivered his second home run of his freshman campaign, a two-run shot with two outs.

The Eagles three big arms out of the pen were forced into the game in the fifth inning with senior Charlie Gausepohl completing the fifth to earn the victory.

Alexander bridged the gap to Vopinek, going 2-1/3 innings before handing off to Vopinek who came through with his 13th save of the season.

The win gives Gausepohl a perfect 3-0 record. Drew Dowl was tagged with the loss to drop to 3-4.

The six home runs in the game were two short of the school record of eight set against Bethany University back in the 2003 season. 

Fayard paced Biola's offensive explosion, finishing the game a triple short of the cycle. He went 4-for-4 with a two-run home run, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs.

Biola's offense stays hot after amassing 22 hits in a double header Monday against San Diego Christian. The Eagles have now collected 42 runs on 49 hits over their last five games.

The two teams will complete the two-game series on Thursday (Apr. 16) in Santa Barbara at 2 p.m.