IRVINE, Calif. --- Concordia scored four runs in the last half of the eighth inning to wipe out a dramatic three-run home run in the top of the frame by Biola as Concordia won 11-9 in game two of a four-game GSAC series Thursday afternoon in Irvine.
Biola drops to 18-12 on the season on the heels of its sixth loss in the last eight games, and falls to 11-11 in GSAC play. Concordia improves to 19-16 overall and to 9-13 in the conference.
Biola took its first lead of the game in dramatic fashion as Trevor Blood crushed a three-run home run to dead center field with one out in the top of the eighth inning. The homer gave Biola a 9-7 lead with just two frames remaining.
But Concordia wasted no time getting the runs back, plating four in the bottom of the inning with three going in the books as unearned. The first batter of the frame reached on a fielding error and was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Robbie Knowles then drove the run home with a triple and came around to score on a single by the next hitter, Matt Ivanoff, which tied the game at 9-9.
A double by John Hill put runners at second and third and an intentional walk loaded the bases. Biola reliever
Kyle Atkins, who was in the midst of his second full inning of work, then got a big strikeout of Danny Casey, which should have been the final out of the inning. But with the extra out to work with, Concordia took advantage and Chris Lum broke the tie with a two-run single up the middle.
Atkins suffered the loss despite allowing just one earned run over the final two innings of work. He drops to 2-1 on the season.
After falling behind 3-0 early, Biola rallied back with two runs in the top of the second thanks to an RBI-single by
Brent Opdyke and sacrifice fly by
Michael Andrews.
Concordia would add two more runs in the bottom of the second thanks to a pair of Biola errors to go back on top 5-2.
Biola made up for the miscues with two runs in the third as
Boone Farrington led the inning of with a double, then came around to score on a triple by
Vinnie Fayard. With two out
Benji Sutherland made it a one-run game with a single to plate Fayard.
After a single run by Concordia in the bottom of the third made it a 6-4 game, Biola tied the game in the fifth with a two-run home run off the bat of
Mac Sullivan.
But the lead was short-lived as Concordia got a run on an RBI-single by Pete Lemone in the bottom of the frame to go back on top 7-6.
The score would remain the same until the top of the eighth when Blood's homer gave Biola its first lead of the series.
Sutherland had a solid day for Biola, going 3-for-3 with a home run, stolen base, two runs scored and an RBI. Farrington and Fayard each added a pair of hits in five at-bats for Biola.
The two teams close out the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday (April 10) at Eagles Diamond in La Mirada. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.
