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piston
6
Vanguard VUSC 14-13
15
Winner Biola University BU-BASE 13-4
Vanguard VUSC
14-13
6
Final
15
Biola University BU-BASE
13-4
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Vanguard VUSC 0 3 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 9 1
Biola University BU-BASE 2 4 0 4 2 0 1 2 X 15 15 0

W: Leavitt, Joey (1-0) L: BARKER, Michael (0-1)

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

No Slowing Down

Biola earns a 15-6 win over Vanguard in its return home from Hawai’i.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Even after arriving back home just two days ago via a long flight from Hawai'i, the Biola Eagles came to play on Tuesday.

Head Coach Jay Sullenger's team scored six runs in the first two innings and benefitted from headline performances from Ryan Gallegos, Tyler Piston and Jacob Portaro to roll to a 15-6 victory over the Vanguard Lions.

This is the sixth time through 17 games that the Eagles have scored 10 or more runs.

"We felt good about how we came together and played good baseball on the recent roadtrip and enjoying the fruit of that hard work," said Head Coach Jay Sullenger. "Today was another culmination of that with everybody doing their job and working hard."

As non-conference games, a win over the Lions is a telling one because of the recent history between the two teams. Biola and Vanguard were neck-and-neck for the majority of the 2017 season and both finished with over 30 regular season wins and a 19-11 GSAC record. So Biola's ability to impose its will in Tuesday's contest only heaps on more evidence to the claim that the Eagles have taken the developmental leaps necessary for NCAA Division II program if it wants to makes some noise in the PacWest.

Biola took its first steps toward this victory with a two-run double from Ryan Gallegos in the Eagles' opening trips to the plate. Then the Eagles responded to Vanguard's three runs in the second against Christian Hammar by getting four free passes and three singles to score four runs and take a 6-3 lead.

Biola's next four-run output game just two innings later and put the game out of the Lions' reach with three homeruns. After Jerron Largusa left the yard with a solo shot to make the score 7-5, six and seven hitters Jacob Portaro and Tyler Piston hit back-to-back homeruns to push the home score to double digits.

The middle of the order was nearly unstoppable for Biola on Tuesday. All five hitters from three through eight in the order had at least two hits and the four starters from Largusa to Piston went 12-for-18 with six extra-base hits and 12 RBI's. It was the second homerun in as many games for Portaro, who now has knocked in nine runs over the past two games. And Tyler Piston's roundtripper was the first of his collegiate career.

Not to be outdone, Largusa went 3-for-4 to push his hitting streak to 10 games and raise his batting average to .438. And Gallegos followed his PacWest Freshman of the Week selection with a 4-for-4 day with two doubles.

In support of all the offense, Joey Leavitt and company chipped in great relief performances to prevent Vanguard from slugging its way back into the game.

Leavitt rightly earned the win on Tuesday after pitching four innings of scoreless relief from the third through the sixth. He did not allow a hit and erased twp men he walked with double plays later in the inning.

"Joey has done a phenomenal job in key spots for us," said Sullenger. "He's thrown quality innings that have allowed us to settle in and find ourselves offensively. His performance has been really key to our success and we've been really exited as a staff about the innings he's thrown and the pace he's worked at."

Devin Sutorius and Josh Ludeman also worked shutout frames while Honus Kindreich only allowed one run while displaying good velocity and swing-and-miss capability in the eighth inning.

The Eagles will have a week to recoup and prepare for a five-game week. Biola will play a Tuesday afternoon game against University of Saint Katherine before traveling to Fresno Pacific for a weekend series. First pitch against USK is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
 
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