GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola's offense came out firing in the first game but Westmont's pitching stood out in game two as the two teams split a GSAC doubleheader with Biola winning 11-4 and Westmont taking the nightcap 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles move to 12-6 overall and to 6-5 in conference play while the Warriors improve to 7-13 and to 3-7 in the GSAC.
Saturday's doubleheader mirrored the first two games of the four-game series played in Santa Barbara in which Biola's offense dominated the game Wednesday, but was held quiet by Wesmont's strong pitching on Thursday.
The Eagles got on the board early in game one Saturday, as Trevor Blood crushed a two-run home run to leftfield in the second to make it 2-0. Biola would add another later in the inning as Armando Arzate drove home pinch-runner Phil Blazek.
In the fourth, Biola took advantage of a hit-batsman and two singles to load the bases with no one out, then scored on an infield groundout and a sacrifice fly to go up 5-0.
Westmont answered back with a pair of runs in the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of wild pitches by Biola starter Dale Harder, who had been masterful through the first four.
Biola got those two runs back in the sixth inning on a Westmont error and and RBI-single by Garrett Leon.
The Warriors would keep the game relatively close with two more runs in the seventh thanks to four consecutive two-out singles.
That would be the final inning for Harder, who went seven, allwoing four runs on nine hits while striking out eight to improve to 2-1 on the season. The lefthander allowed just two hits through the first four innings before Westmont was finally able to get to him.
Biola would add a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the seventh, then Vinnie Fayard drove in three with a home run in the eighth to cap the scoring. The blast was Fayard's team-leading ninth of the season.
After the Eagles pounded out 13 hits, Biola's offense was held in check in game two by the Warriors' Timothy Leary.
Leary, who is also the team's leading hitter, allowed just two runs on four hits over 4-1/3 innings of work in game two. Pete McCarthy then came on in relief, giving up four hits, but keeping the Eagles off the scoreboard over the final 2-2/3.
Biola jumped out early with four hits to open the game. Boone Farrington led off with a double, the reached third on a single to right by Garrett Leon. Fayard then drove in a run with a single to left and a hit by Mac Sullivan reloaded the bases. After the Eagles tacked on a second run with a sacrifice fly by Blood, Leary worked out of the early jam by coaxing a double-play out of Brent Opdyke.
From there, Leary settled down as his offense went to work. The Warriors opened the top of the second with a single, walk and an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Another single by Evan Wadginski drove home the first run and chased Biola starter Bobby O'Neill, who lasted just one inning.
Alex Brueske, who was impressive in his start against Westmont on Wednesday, came on but allowed the Warriors to tie the game on an infield out. After getting a fly ball for the second out of the inning, Jordan Bottenfield came through with a clutch single to make it a 3-2 game.
Those proved to be all the runs Leary would need, not allowing a hit over the next three innings. He ran into a bit of trouble in the fifth, hitting two batters at the bottom of the lineup to put the go-ahead run on for the big boppers at the top. However, McCarthy came on and got a ground out and fly out to end the threat.
Meanwhile, after a bit of a rocky third which saw the Warriors load the bases with one out but fail to score a run, Brueske settled down, retiring eight in a row before being replaced by Kyle Atkins in the sixth. The junior tossed two solid innings of relief to keep Westmont off the board and give Biola one last chance to win.
After loading the bases with two out and failing to score in the sixth, Biola had one final shot to salvage a victory. However, after two quick outs it looked like the game might be over. Farrington managed to keep hope alive with an infield single, then Leon drove a double into left field. But Farrington was waived home from third and a great throw had him beat by eight feet to end the game with Fayard--Biola's best hitter--waiting on deck.
The Eagles didn't do themselves many favors with the bottom six hitters in the lineup combing for just twp hits in 14 at-bats. The top three hitters, Farrington, Leon and Fayard went a combined 6-for-11.
Leary picked up the win, his first of the season, with McCarthy earning the long save.
O'Neill, who allowed three runs on four hits in 1+ innings pitched, took the loss to fall to 0-1 on the year.
Leon finished the day going 5-of-9 with two runs scored and an RBI to pace the Eagles.
Biola returns to action on Thursday (Mar. 18) hosting San Diego Christian College in a GSAC doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Eagles Diamond.
