SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- The top of the order drove BU to a victory as Cruz, Sage and Portaro combined for eight hits and ten RBI in Biola's 13-6 victory over Point Loma in game one ofSaturday's doubleheader.
After walking off gaem two on Friday, Biola utilized that momentum in game one on Saturday. "The team showed great fight today and our hitters had a successful day at the plate," said Head Coach
Jeff Calhoon. "Our bullpen is starting to come together and did a good job of giving up just one earned run across four innings while holding onto the win."
Andrew Beauvais got the start for Biola, he pitched three innings and allowed three earned runs off four hits and five walks. Out of the pen Carson Cody, AJ Ortiz and Kenny Carrillo each pitched two innings allowing only three runs across six innings. Ortiz struck out three while Carrillo struck out one.
The bats were hot today as five Eagles hitters recorded multi-hit games powered by the top of the order with RobertAnthony Cruz, Johnny Sage and Jacob Portaro. Cruz was 2-5, drove in two runs, scored twice and reached base via the walk four times. Cruz has been walked twelve times in the past three games in the series against Point Loma. His four walks have tied him for the single game base on balls record set by Joe Magro in 2018.
Sage went 3-7 while driving in three and scoring once while Portaro went 3-5 at the plate with five runs driven in and a homerun. Jackson Collins recorded two hits in four attempts while working two walks and Connor Kostecka went 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored.
Oftentimes this season the big innings have worked against the Eagles. Fortunately today it was Biola who produced the big inning not once, but twice in the second and seventh inning.
The five run second inning saw nine Eagles come to the plate. Ryan Gallegos led off with a single through the left side and Ben Smith reached via the walk. Connor Kostecka continued his timely hitting from Friday's contest and drove in both baserunners with a single, giving Biola the 2-1 lead.
After leading off the game with a single, PLNU decided to intentionally walk Cruz for the ninth time this series. Cruz immediately advanced 90 feet on a Johnny Sage single. With two on and two outs, Jacob Portaro drove in three runs for Biola as he launched a moonshot to left center field giving BU the 5-2 lead.
The Eagles tallied two additional runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Tyler White led off the fifth inning and reached first after being hit by a pitch. A perfectly executed sacrifice bunt from Kostecka advanced White to second base, for the tenth time this series the Sea Lions elected to hand Cruz first base. A single from Portaro scored both White and Cruz giving the Eagles a 7-4 lead.
Gallegos led off the sixth inning with a walk while Kostecka singled through the left side. With Cruz stepping to the plate PLNU continued to keep the bat out of his hands and gave him the free pass for the eleventh time to load the bases. Sage would plate two additional runs for the Eagles with a single up the middle, bringing home Gallegos and Kostecka to give BU a 9-4 lead.
The first four batters reached base in the four-run seventh inning, which was BU's second largest run producing inning of the day. Collins led off with a single while Brandon Cody reached on a fielder's choice as the Sea Lions elected to retire Collins at second base. Gallegos and Smith worked back-to-back walks to load the bases for Tyler White.
White recorded a sacrifice fly scoring Cody and advancing Gallegos 90 feet for a 10-4 game. After Kostecka worked a walk, Point Loma had nowhere to put Cruz who stepped to the plate with a single and four intentional walks on the day. Cruz singled up the middle driving in Gallegos and Smith for a 12-4 contest.
The Eagles would score their final run of the day on a Johnny Sage single that allowed Kostecka to score BU's thirteenth run of the day. The Sea Lions were able to score two in the bottom of the ninth, both runs were unearned.
The win gives BU two straight and improves the Eagles to 7-13 and 7-10 in PacWest play.
