OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION PROPELS BASEBALL TO WIN OVER TABOR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Five home runs and 17 runs scored helped Avila baseball pick up a big 17-13 win over Tabor on Monday afternoon, also giving the Eagles the series win over the Bluejays.

Avila had a number of incredible individual performances, including a seven-RBI day from Landon Vahle and Jack Virden hitting a home run from both sides of the plate.

The Eagles offensive show started in the second inning on Virden's first home run of the day. Tabor would hit a home run of its own in the top of the third, but Avila answered back immediately, putting up another run in the bottom of the inning.

The Bluejays scored three in the fourth inning. Continuing the trend, the Eagles answered back immediately in the home half of the fourth.

Thomas English scored Robby Cable on an RBI groundout. After a Tyler King single, Zach Dillman hit Avila's second home run of the day.

Through four electric innings, the score was tied at five.

The fifth inning is where the floodgates opened for both teams.

Tabor added six on three hits, a walk and a fielder's choice to hold a brief 11-5 lead.

When Tabor scored six, Avila scored six.

Three-straight walks loaded the bases for Avila to open the fifth inning.

English began the Avila comeback with a sacrifice fly to score Will Clark and force a Tabor pitching change.

The first batter after the reliever came in, King smacked an RBI single to right field. After King, Dillman took four balls to load the bases for Landon Vahle.

After giving up six runs in the top of the fifth inning, Avila tied the game right back after Vahle emptied the bases with a grand slam. Through five, the score was tied at 11.

Tabor took another brief lead in the sixth inning on an RBI double.

It was the same old story for Avila in the bottom of the sixth: Tabor takes a lead, Avila comes swinging right back.

The Eagles added three more – all with two outs – on an RBI from English and back-to-back bases loaded walks from Dillman and Vahle. Through six, Avila led 14-12.

Tabor added one more in the seventh, but that was the last of the scoring for the Bluejays as Dillman came on to pitch the final 2.1 innings to keep Tabor off the scoreboard.

In the bottom of the seventh, Virden hit his second homer of the day – this time from the right side of the plate. 15-13 Avila through seven.

Tabor's last scoring opportunity came in the eighth inning when the Bluejays had runners on first and second with only one out. The Bluejays' No. 2 hitter flew out to right field when English made a beautiful sliding catch. English popped up from the turf to double the runner off at second base for a 9-4 inning-ending double play.

As if a five-RBI day wasn't enough, Vahle came back in the eighth inning to hit Avila's fifth and final home run of the day, this time a two-run shot to light the scoreboard up for Avila's 17^th run.

After a leadoff single in the ninth, Dillman induced three-consecutive flyouts to end the game, giving Avila a 17-13 victory and a series win over Tabor.

Avila's top-three hitters in the lineup – King, Dillman and Vahle – combined to go 8-12 with eight runs scored and 11 RBI. Vahle joined Virden as the two Eagles with a four-hit day, while Virden was also accompanied by King and Dillman as the three Avila batters with three runs scored.

In total, Avila put up 15 hits and 11 walks in the 17-run affair as the Eagles will look to make it three-straight wins on Tuesday versus Southwestern with a 2 PM first pitch from The Z.