Box Score AZUSA, Calif. --- Biola pounded out 13 hits while freshman starter
Trevor Oaks recorded a season-best 12 strikeouts over seven innings to lead the Eagles to a 15-4 win over Azusa Pacific University in the first game of a four-game non-conference series on Thursday night in Azusa.
The Eagles improve to 10-4 on the season while dropping the Cougars to 1-6.
Oaks had a solid start to pace Biola to earn his first collegiate victory while the offense came through in a big way to come to his support. Michael Annunziata and Johnny Farrington each hit home runs in the game while Paul Slater went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a triple.
Oaks went seven innings, allowing seven hits and four runs--three earned--while striking out 12 and walking four. He threw a season-high 135 pitches including striking out three batters in the seventh and two in four other innings.
Biola got off to a fast start with four runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Luke Klocek singled through the left side and moved to second on a walk to Benji Sutherland. Nick Oddo followed with a double down the right-field line to bring home the first run followed by a sacrifice fly from Sam Thorne. Annunziata then cleared the bases with a blast to right-field--his second home run in as many games.
After a quiet second, Biola added six in the third, sending 12 batters to the plate. With one out, Thorne singled followed by walks to Annunziata and Will Lawrence to load the bases. Facing a new pitcher, Sage Poland drew a walk to bring in a run and a wild pitch on the first pitch to Farrington brought home another run. It was too bad for the wild pitch because the 1-0 pitch to the 5-7 shortstop was belted over the left field fence for just a three-run home run instead of Biola's fourth grand slam of the year (out of six total homers).
For Farrington, it was the first time he has ever homered in any level of baseball and made it a 9-0 Biola lead. The Eagles tacked on another run later in the inning as Slater reached on an error and came around to score on a single by Klocke.
Azusa Pacific got two runs back in the bottom of the third, but the Eagles added one more in the seventh. With one out, Slater doubled to right and scored two batters later on a single by Sutherland.
The Cougars tallied two in the bottom of the seventh though just one was earned and despite the fact Oaks recorded three strikeouts. Two of those batters reached on balls in the dirt meaning Oaks had to record five total outs in the inning, but he worked out of it to secure the win.
The Eagles added four runs in the top of the eighth to close out the game. With two out and the bases empty, Lawrence singled to get the rally going. David McNeill drew a walk as did Farrington to load the bases. A wild pitch brought one run in followed by a two-run triple by Slater to make it a 14-4 game. Slater then came around to score on an error by the Cougars to cap the scoring.
Bryan Castelli came on in relief of Oaks to start the eighth and retired the final six batters of the game with ease.
The two teams return to Azusa on Friday for the second game of the four game series beginning at 5:00 p.m., then close out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday at Biola. First pitch for Saturday's twin bill is slated for 11:00 a.m.
