Baseball gears up for GSAC Playoffs

Sophomore Steven Alexander slides back into first after collecting a base hit against APU last Saturday. The Eagles were swept in the doubleheader, 12-11 and 18-7, but beat Fresno Tuesday to conclude their regular season.

Faith Martinez

The Eagles found themselves in prime position to compete for the GSAC championship last week, sitting three games behind first place APU and just one game behind second place Fresno Pacific.

Biola had four remaining games, all against the two teams ahead of them. With a few wins, and a little help, the Eagles could have won the region.

Instead, Biola first fell at home to Fresno last Thursday, 5-2, out-pitched and outplayed. With the defeat, the Eagles lost their shot at the region. They were then swept in a doubleheader Saturday at Azusa, 21-11 and 18-6, losing their chance at the second spot in the regional playoffs thanks to Fresno’s sweep of San Diego Christian.

“Either way, we were going to take the third spot,” Coach John Verhoeven said. “It’s still disappointing to lose like that, but we are in the same place.”

Senior Josh Baas got the ball in Thursday’s game against Fresno, looking for his seventh win of the season. He tossed six strong, allowing five runs on 10 hits but was simply out-pitched by Fresno starter Chris Schwinden. Schwinden, who beat the Eagles earlier in the year in a complete game, two hit shutout, allowed two runs on just four hits, tossing a complete game once again to pick up the victory.

Eagle shortstop junior Nick Rotkowitz had two of Biola’s four hits on the day, keeping his 21 hit streak going, and provided the only sense of real offense for the squad for the entire game.

Looking to recover from the difficult home defeat, the Eagles headed to Azusa Pacific on Saturday for a doubleheader against their conference rival Cougars. It was a hot summer day, and an old fashion dog-fight ensued.

Much like it went when the clubs met earlier in the year, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead on Saturday and watched it slowly fade away.

Biola had an early 7-0 lead in game one against APU, thanks to extra base hits and quality baseball. Junior David West had an RBI double and a two-run homer in the first three innings.

Senior Jimmy Johnson, who started the first game for Biola, looked impressive through the first four innings, but in the fifth the potent Cougar offense got the best of him and put up a five spot, blasting three home runs. The Eagles’ early seven-run lead faded to just two, and in Cougar ballpark no lead is safe. Johnson was taken out of the game after surrendering a three-run jack to Bryce Cutspec.

From that point on, it was a back and forth offensive battle.

Biola held a 9-8 lead heading into the final inning, but junior Tim Nolan allowed a run, and the game went extras. Biola scored two runs in the top of the tenth, to take an 11-9 lead, but the Cougars tied the game once more, thanks again to the longball. Biola went scoreless in the top of the eleventh, and the Cougars added their final run on a full count, bases loaded single up the middle for the win.

The Eagles jumped out early once again in game two, scoring three runs in the first, but the Cougars were even more offensive, putting up a nine spot off Biola starter junior Charlie Gausepohl. Azusa added eight more in the third and never looked back, taking the contest 18-7 in the end.

“We got a little rattled; you can’t let them get to you … especially in that park,” said Verhoeven. “We need to regroup, but we are going to be all right.”

Biola did regroup and battled to a 4-3 come-from-behind victory in their final regular season game of the year. The Eagles beat Fresno Pacific at home on Tuesday by scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth, capped by a bases-loaded hit batsman to win the game. Nolan picked up the win in relief.

The game’s outcome had nothing to do with standing, but it did give the Eagles some momentum going into next week’s regional playoffs, a pick-me-up victory after a four-game slide.

Biola is seeded number three in the GSAC playoffs and will play host to number four Point Loma on Tuesday at 3 p.m.

“It’s anybody’s regional; it’s completely up for grabs,” Verhoeven said. “Anybody can beat anybody in this region; it’s very competitive.”

The later regional rounds will take place at Azusa next week, so the Eagles must figure out how to win in that park if they are going to advance to the Super Regional and the World Series in June.

Biola finishes the regular season with a 23-13 GSAC record and 34-16 overall.