Box Score AZUSA, Calif. --- Biola's run through the GSAC Tournament came to an end on Thursday in an 8-2 loss to No. 4-ranked and tournament top-seed Azusa Pacific University at the Cougar Baseball Complex.
The Eagles fall to 26-27 and now await word on a potential at-large berth in the NAIA National Tournament. The field is announced on Sunday, May 6.
The Cougars improve to 44-9 and advance to the GSAC Championship game where they will need to defeat No. 2 seed Concordia twice to claim the tournament title.
Biola received a solid start from Kevin Ryan, who allowed just three earned runs through the first six innings against the high-powered APU offense. However, the Eagles could not do much against Zachary Hedges.
The Cougars scored first thanks to a two-run home run by Jonathan Erb in the bottom of the first inning. Biola got one of those runs back in the top of the second. Mac Sullivan led off with a double to the right-centerfield gap. He would move to third on a ground out and scored on a ground out by Nick Covyeau to make it 2-1.
Azusa Pacific answered back with two more runs in the third inning, opening the frame with a baserunner on a Biola error. A double would put runners on second and third and the Eagles elected to intentionally walk Jordan Leyland to load the bases with no one out. A ground out by Erb brought home the first run and a single to right brought in another, but Ryan got a double play to get out of the jam without any more damage.
That would help as the Eagles cut the lead to two in the fourth in almost an identical fashion to the second inning. Drake Fages led off the inning with a double to right-center and moved to third on a groundout. Michael Annunziata then grounded to second to bring home Fages as Biola cut the lead to 4-2.
Ryan did his job over the next three innings, retiring nine-straight batters before a two-out single in the sixth broke the streak. Despite the solid pitching, Biola could not close the gap any further.
The Ealges opened the sixth and seventh with the leadoff batters reaching base. In the sixth, Johnny Farrington and Vinnine Fayard recorded back-to-back singles to open the inning. Fages put a charge in the ball, driving it to center field. But it turned out to be a long, loud out. Sullivan then grounded out to more the runners to second and third, but Annunziata struck out to end the threat.
In the seventh, Covyeau led off the frame with a walk, but was retired at second on a ground out by Sage Poland. Poland was then thrown out trying to steal second. Pinch-hitter Tanner Swire drew a walk to extend the inning, but a fly out would end the threat again.
Azusa Pacific then broke open the game in the bottom of the seventh. The Cougars led off with a single and sacrificed the runner to second for the first out. But back-to-back hit batters would load the bases and put the pressure on Ryan. He came back with a big strikeout for the second out, but back-to-back singles would plate four runs and end Ryan's night.
Farrington and Fayard each collected a pair of hits in the game and Annunziata and Covyeau recorded the Eagles' only RBIs.
Hedges earned the win, allowing two runs on seven hits over 7-2/3 innings to improve to 6-0 for the Cougars. Ryan fell to 3-5 on the season for Biola.
