JOLIET, Ill. --- After going the first four innings without a hit, Biola erupted for 12 runs on 18 hits over the final five to defeat the University of Saint Francis for the second time in the NAIA Opening Round - Joliet Bracket and advancing to the championship game. 

The Eagles avoid elimination with the victory and get a second chance against top-seed Oklahoma Baptist, which bounced them into the loser's bracket on Friday with a heart-breaking walk-off win. Biola must defeat the Bison twice to earn the Bracket's berth to the NAIA World Series.

(The first game has been suspended due to rain with OBU leading 2-0 in the bottom of the second. It is scheduled to resume at 12:00 p.m. CT on Sunday.)

Biola starter Alex Brueske did a masterful job of pitching on Saturday, holding the Fighting Saints to just one run on nine hits. More importantly, he threw the entire game, saving the bullpen for the next two games as the Eagles attempt to come out of the loser's bracket with a pair of victories. Despite throwing over 150 pitches in the game, he seemed to save the best for last, retiring the final seven batters of the game.

The offense sputtered early for the Eagles, failing to muster a single hit through the first four innings against USF starter Ryne Gill. In the meantime, the Fighting Saints broke through with the first run of the game on a two-out single by David Schwabe.

But Brueske worked out of a number of jams and held USF off the board until the Biola bats got going, which they did in the fifth.

With one out, Mac Sullivan got the offense rolling with a hard-hit single to right. Benji Sutherland followed with a single and the red-hot Johnny Farrington doubled to drive home the tying run. Mike Lopez hit a sacrifice fly to plate Sutherland with the go-ahead run and the Eagles were on top 2-1.

In the sixth, Biola broke out the two-out magic, using eight-straight two-out hits to score six runs and break the game open. After Gill recorded the first two outs with relative ease, Boone Farrington and Drake Fages started the ball rolling with singles. Brian Loard then doubled to drive home the first run of the frame, followed by a two-run double by Sullivan. Sutherland followed with a run-scoring double to right to chase Gill from the game. 

Johnny Farrington welcomed the new Saints pitcher with a double to center, then scored on a single by Lopez which capped the scoring in the inning. Michael Andrews hit a single to end the string of hits, but started his own string.

In the eighth and ninth innings, Andrews had two-run singles to cap the scoring. After starting the tournament hitless in nine at-bats, he finished the day 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Sutherland continued his hot hitting over the last two days with a 4-for-5 game, scoring four runs and driving in one. 

Johnny Farrington went 3-for-4 in the game with three runs scored and two RBIs. He is now 7-for-9 (.778) in the tournament with four runs scored and 3 RBIs. He has reached base in 10-of-13 plate appearances with two walks and hit-by-pitch, also adding a sacrifice bunt to the mix.