IRVINE, Calif. – The CUI baseball team split Saturday's double header with Biola, leading to a series split on the weekend. Concordia still holds third place in the PacWest standings with a 19-17-1 (13-7) record.
 
 
Game 1: CUI 7, BU 10
 
Catcher Kevin Fowler got the offense started with a single up the middle in the bottom of the first inning, immediately scoring on a Michael Dixon triple to left center field a few pitches later. That was Dixon's fifth triple of the season, ranking him second in the conference and tied for eighth in the country in three baggers.
 
CUI struck again in the bottom of the second inning, when Shane Wallace pushed across Will Bonn on an RBI groundout to tie the game back up at 2-2. Biola responded by taking a commanding lead in the top of the third, scoring five runs on five hits.
 
Dixon struck again in the bottom of the third, this time hitting a double down the right field line to score Fowler from second for his team-leading 15^th extra base hit of the season.
 
After a scoreless fourth, Concordia was able to put together a big fifth inning. Tristan Hanoian led off with a home run to right center field on the very first pitch, his third of the season. After a Fowler walk, Dixon collected his third hit of the game on a single to center field. Two batters later, Nathan Benefeito smoked a ball into the netting in right field for his third home run of the season, scoring three and narrowing the lead to 8-7.
 
Unfortunately for the Green & Gold, that would be the last time they scored in the game. In total, seven Eagles recorded at least one hit, including a double, triple, and two home runs.
 
Starting pitcher Mason Metcalfe allowed six earned runs in 5.0 innings on 90 pitches. Jamison King and Noah McBride relieved Metcalfe, with McBride throwing a scoreless final three frames to end the game. After striking out three batters in his outing, McBride now has 31 punchouts in 21.0 innings pitched for a 13.29 strikeout per nine on the season.
 
 
Game 2: CUI 13, BU 5 (7 innings)
 
Starting pitcher Riley O'Sullivan delivered a strong first three innings on the mound, allowing zero runs on three hits. However, he ran into some trouble in the top of the fourth inning, allowing five runs to score on five hits, including two doubles and a home run.
 
Colton Bulger came in relief and, as expected, dominated on the bump. The junior only allowed two hits in 3.1 innings, striking out three on 46 pitches. Bulger now holds a 0.93 ERA on the season and continues to be one of the most reliable arms out of the pen.
 
Trailing 5-0 headed into the bottom of the fourth, CUI was able to get two runs back. Dixon roped the very first pitch of the inning off the wall in left center field for a leadoff double, his third extra base hit of the day. After Benefeito walked and stole second, Jackson Collins drove in both runners on an RBI single through the right side to narrow Biola's lead to 5-2.
 
The very next inning, Tristan Hanoian led off with a double to right center field, his second extra base hit of the day. Shane Wallace then laid down a sac bunt, but the ball was thrown away by the pitcher allowing Hanoian to score from second to make the score 5-3.
 

Then came the bottom of the sixth…
 

With two outs and two on in the inning, Tristan Hanoian came up bat. With two strikes, he swung and missed at a ball in the dirt, forcing the catcher to throw the ball to first base on the dropped third strike. However, the ball had become lodged in his chest protector, which the umpires immediately ruled as a dead ball and awarded Hanoian first base, loading the bases.
 
Wallace singled on the very next pitch, scoring two runs to tied the game at 5-5. The next batter, Fowler, singled to score Hanoian. The onslaught continued when Dixon collected his fourth extra base hit of the day on a triple to right center field, scoring two more runs to make it a 8-5 ball game.
 
The Eagles were far from done, scoring five more runs on singles from Castro, Benefeito, Collins, and Derek Delgado. In addition, Calvin Schonebaum collected a 2 RBI triple to right field on a ball that the outfielder lost in the lights. All in all, the Green & Gold plated 10 runs on nine hits - all with two outs - to cement the come-from-behind victory.
 


Concordia returns to Eagles Field on Friday, April 15^th, for a PacWest doubleheader against Azusa Pacific. CUI just finished a non-conference series against APU on April 2^nd, and looks for revenge against the Cougars in the upcoming series.

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