Box Score AZUSA, Calif. --- A close game turned into a runaway Azusa Pacific win quickly thanks to APU's three homeruns over the course of three rough innings for Biola.
 
Tyler Bernheisel got the start in a Monday night road contest against Biola's former Golden State Athletic Conference nemesis. He got off to a strong start, battling head-to-head with APU's Adam McCreery through the first two innings as both lefties shut down the opposing offenses early on.
 
The third inning was the first time that the Cougars' big bats made an impact on the game. A single led off the inning, but that batter was caught stealing. Next up came a controversial play where the ball popped out of Michael Annunziata's glove as her transferred the ball to his throwing hand. The umpires awarded the batter first base and APU's offense was back in motion.
 
Two batters later Joe Huthsing took a Bernheisel pitch out of the park over the left field wall to put APU ahead by three.
 
That would be all the Cougars needed as the Eagles could only get one run across the dish all night long. That run came in the top of the fourth inning when Luke Klocek scored off a Tanner Swire RBI single.
 
Bernheisel allowed four more runs, seven total, over the course of his five-inning outing, and was saddled with his second loss of the season. McCreery gets the win to improve to 1-0 on the year.
 
Sean McCarrell came in to relieve Bernheisel and had a strong three-innings on the mound. He did allow one run, but showed great poise in the eighth inning as he worked his way out of a dangerous bases-loaded situation.
 
The Eagles were overcome by a dominant three-man pitching staff on the Cougars' side, getting just six hits all night long, as opposed to APU's 13. Swire had the hottest bat, going 2-for-3 and getting that one Biola RBI.

Biola drops to 8-14 on the season, and the Cougars jump to 4-4 while improving to 4-0 at home.
 
The Eagles return to the comforts of Eagles Diamond on Wednesday afternoon as they host Bethesda for a 2 p.m. battle. The two teams met Feb. 5, and Biola walked away with a come-from-behind 10-8 win.