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micah
Kyla McGuire
7
Winner Azusa Pacific APU-BASE 5-0
6
Biola University BU-BASE 0-1
Winner
Azusa Pacific APU-BASE
5-0
7
Final
6
Biola University BU-BASE
0-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Azusa Pacific APU-BASE 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 3 7 11 2
Biola University BU-BASE 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 2 6 8 0

W: Szczesny, John (1-0) L: Hammar, Christian (0-1) S: Henderson, Layne (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Brandon Taylor, Assistant Sports Information Director

Cougars Bite Back

No. 13 APU scores six runs in the last two innings to wriggle away from Biola.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- No matter what the sport, every Cornerstone Cup matchup between Azusa Pacific and Biola seem to be exciting, down-to-the-wire contests. The institutions' first baseball meeting of the 2018 season was no different, coming down the to the last out in the bottom of ninth before No. 13 APU was able to hold onto a 7-6 victory.

The Cougars erased a strong seven-plus innings from Micah Beyer and Devin Sutorius by scoring six runs in the final two innings to turn a 4-1 deficit into a three-run lead of their own. Azusa Pacific improves to 5-0 on the season after the comeback win, while the Eagles lose their season opener for the first time in nine years and begin the season 0-1.

It is safe to say that the Eagles were command of the game for the first seven innings and showed that they had no problem keeping pace with the top-ranked team in the PacWest. After Beyer closed out the top of the first on a groundout, his battery-mate Anj Bourgeois got Biola's offense started with a bang.

Bourgeois hit the second homerun of his collegiate career to right center field on the third pitch he saw to give Biola a 1-0 lead that it would hold for the next inning-plus.

APU scratched together a run in the top of the third on a leadoff double and RBI single from catcher Justin Gomez, but Beyer was basically lights out for the rest of his start. The senior ace recorded seven strikeouts and induced 15 swing-and misses from the Cougars in five innings of work, only allowing two free passes.

Beyer's control of the Cougars' order helped keep APU in check long enough for the Eagles to take the lead back in the fourth inning with runs on an Andy VanAntwerp walk and a throwing error on the visitor's third baseman during the next play. Each of the first three batters reached for Biola in that inning, but APU turned what ended up being a very important double play to end the inning and limit the scoring to two.

When the Eagles got 2.1 solid innings of relief from Sutorius and an RBI double from Jacob Portaro for insurance it seemed like Biola was on the fast track to victory over the No. 13 team in NCAA Division II.

But the experienced Cougars never panicked. Sean Aspinall came up with a massive three-run homerun to tie it at 4-4 and set the table for three more runs in the ninth when Azusa Pacific sent the top of their order to the plate. The Cougars got their seventh and final extra-base hit in the ninth from leadoff hitter Mychal Goudreau to spark the rally.

Biola came back for two in the bottom of the ninth after closer Layne Henderson walked three batters in a row. Freshman Tyler Piston then pulled a 3-2 fastball through the left side on the eighth pitch he saw to plate Joey Magro and Colton Worthington with one out. But Henderson would get the final two outs via strikeout to end the Eagles' hopes of a victorious comeback on opening day.

The Eagles continue their search for their first win tomorrow night, when they host Western Oregon at the Cougar Baseball Complex in Azusa. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
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