LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola overcame a five-run deficit with six runs over the final two innings to come-from-behind and beat Patten University 7-6 in a non-conference game on Friday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.
The Eagles pick up their fourth-straight win and improve to 29-16 on the season while the Lions fall to 20-24 on the heels of their fifth-straight defeat.
Biola rallied late after managing just one run on four hits--three off the bat of
Mac Sullivan--through the first six innings of the game. However, the Eagles exploded with five runs in the seventh capped by a three-run home run off the bat of
Brian Loard, then scored the go-ahead run on an infield single by
Boone Farrington in eighth to pull out the win.
The Eagles struggled early as Patten slowly stretched its lead up to 6-1. In the third and fourth innings, the Lions were able to tally a run in each to go up 2-0.
Biola answered back with its first run as walks to
Drake Fages and
Brian Loard were walked around a single by Sullivan to load the bases.
Garrett Leon then got the Eagles on the board with a deep sacrifice fly to center to plate Fages. After
Johnny Farrington was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases,
Mike Lopez nearly broke the game open with a solid shot which was snared with a great leaping catch at short for the third out.
Patten got two more in the fifth as Zach Plancich drove home two with a single to make it 4-1. The Lions would add another run in the sixth and plated an unearned run in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh.
But the Eagles were finally able to get to Patten starter Isaac Duran, who had been solid through the first six innings. With one out,
Benji Sutherland drew a walk followed by a single by
Michael Andrews.
Boone Farrington was hit by the final pitch thrown by Duran, loading the bases with one out.
Drake Fages greeted new pitcher Jesus Berduzco with a single to drive home two and make it a 6-3 game.
After a deep fly out by Sullivan--the first time he was retired on the day--
Brian Loard followed by hitting a 3-0 pitch out of the park to deep left-center field to tie the score.
Biola's
Matt Samsvick and
Kyle Atkins retired the Lions in order in the top of the eighth, the Eagles came through with the go-ahead run in the bottom of the frame. With two out, Sutherland and Andrews hit singles to left to put runners on the corners.
Boone Farrington then followed with a hit down the third base line which was snared by the third baseman on the run but he was unable to make a play allowing Sutherland to score.
Cameron McVey then came on in the ninth and retired the side in order to earn his 11th save of the season. He was the ninth Biola pitcher to pitch in the contest which was started by
Nick Turner. Turner did not pitch poorly, but threw 76 pitches in four innings, allowing four hits and walking three while giving up two runs.
Atkins picked up the victory by recording two outs in the top of the eighth to improve to 6-3 on the season.
Biola has now won four of its last five games by scoring seven runs with three of those ending in 7-6 victories. The Eagles are a perfect 9-0 when scoring exactly seven runs.
The win was also the second-straight one-run game for the Eagles who had lost 11 of their last 13 one-run contests.
Biola and Patten close out the three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at Noon.
