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Box Score 2 LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Strong pitching and timely hitting helped Biola to a doubleheader sweep over former GSAC rival Azusa Pacific University, winning 6-2 and 6-4 in on Saturday afternoon to take three of four in the non-conference series.
The Eagles improve to 12-5 on the season while dropping the Cougars to 2-8 overall.
Biola received another strong start from Josh Staumont in the first game of the doubleheader as the freshman improved to 3-0 on the season. Staumont allowed just two runs on five hits over 8-1/3 innings, with his only real mistake being a two-run home run hit by Matt Kimmel in the seventh. He struck out five and walked just one along the way.
Biola's offense helped out the freshman with six runs. Biola opened the scoring in the fourth inning, as Michael Annunziata reached on a two-out double and came around to score on a single by Vince Lawrence.
In the fifth, the Eagles added two more again with two out. With two down and a runner at first, Benji Sutherland doubled to bring home Paul Slater. Nick Oddo followed with a single to drive in Sutherland and make it a 3-0 game.
Biola continued to add on with two in the sixth as Luke Klocek earned an RBI the hard way being plunked by a pitch with the bases loaded. Sutherland followed with a sacrifice fly and it was 5-0.
The Cougars got two back in the top of the seventh on Kimmel's home run, but added an insurance run in the eighth thanks to an RBI single by Sutherland.
Staumont came on to try for the complete game in the ninth, but after retiring the first batter, hit Kimmel and allowed a single by Daniel Gonzales. Erick Allen came on to close the game out and got a strikeout and fly out to pick up his second save.
Sutherland finished the game going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Johnny Farrington added three hits in four at-bats as well, scoring a run.
Biola fell behind early in the second game as the Cougars scored two in third on a two-run single by Gonzales. Azusa Pacific then added two more in the fifth to make it a 4-0 game in the seven-inning contest.
But the Eagles rallied in a big way, using a six-run fifth to take back the lead. Biola had just two base runners through the first four innings, but sent 11 men to the plate in the fifth.
Annunziata opened the inning with a double followed by Oddo being hit by a pitch. After a ground out moved the pair up 90 feet, Farrington drove home the first run of the game for the Eagles with a single to right. Slater followed with a double down the right-field line to make it 4-2 and move Farrington to third.
Klocek made it one-run game with an RBI-ground out. The Cougars intentionally walked Sutherland to put two on with two out, but Sam Thorne made them pay with an RBI-single to tie it. Lawrence then gave the Eagles the lead with a two-run double.
Azusa Pacific made things interesting in the sixth, putting two on with no one out. But Garrett Picha got a strikeout, a fly out and a ground out to work out of trouble. He then came back in the seventh, allowing a two-out single but closing the door with a groundout to earn his first save.
Will Emerson got the win in relief to move to 2-1. J.T. Mickelson made the start for the Eagles--his first appearance of the season. Mickelson allowed two runs on four hits over four innings, striking out two.
Biola returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to San Marcos for a single, non-conference game against Cal State San Marcos beginning at 2:00 p.m. The Eagles then return to GSAC play this weekend with a three-game series at No. 11 Concordia beginning on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
