GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
SAN DIEGO — Biola's four-game winning streak was snapped on Tuesday afternoon as No. 2 Point Loma Nazarene swept a GSAC doubleheader by scores of 5-1 and 3-0 at Sunset Cliffs Park in San Diego.
The Eagles fall back to .500 on the season at 23-23 and 9-13 in the conference while the Sea Lions improve to 39-7 overall and 18-4 in GSAC play. Despite the loss, Biola received some good news as Azusa Pacific split a doubleheader with Concordia, giving the Eagles a chance to finish tied for third with a sweep in their season finale with Hope International on Saturday.
Biola ran headlong into the dominating PLNU pitching staff, managing just one run on seven hits on the day including just one hit in game two of the doubleheader.
Freshman Lyndsie Roberts started out strong for the Eagles in game one, allowing just two baserunners through the first three innings. However, Point Loma got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the fourth. The Sea Lions recorded four straight singles with one out in the inning, then tacked on another after a single with two out.
Freshman Sara Smith helped end the inning with a pick off of the runner at third base who strayed a bit too far off the bag. It was her GSAC-best fifth pickoff of the season.
PLNU added a quick run in the bottom of the fifth on a solo home run by Paige Powell, then received a gift run on a Biola error to make it 5-0.
Biola got a run back in the sixth inning as back-to-back one-out singles by Krista Johnson and Keena Levert put runners on the corners. Smith then drove in Johnson from third on an RBI-groundout, but that would be it for the Eagles.
Roberts suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts over 4-2/3 innings. Freshman Kristen Larson came on in relief and pitched a perfect 1-1/3 innings of relief.
In game two, Biola's Erica Moyer pitched an outstanding game, but the Eagles' offense could not provide her much run support. Moyer allowed just one earned run over seven innings while striking out four, but suffered the loss.
The Sea Lions picked up an unearned run in the first inning as PLNU speedster Amanda Addie reached on an error. She eventually came around to score on a single by the pitcher Melissa Gomez.
The score would remain 1-0 until the bottom of the sixth when the Sea Lions would add a pair of insurance runs. With two outs, Gomez doubled, then scored on a single by Kayla Luttmers. After a Biola error allowed Luttmers to reach third, she came around to score on a wild pitch to make it 3-0.
Biola could not figure out Gomez in that second game, as the PLNU pitcher threw five perfect innings to start the game. Biola's first baserunner reached on an error in the sixth and the Eagles recorded their first hit against Gomez in the seventh as Jacqie Hudson hit a single down the leftfield line.
Biola still remains in good position to make it to the NAIA Regional Tournament next week, but must take care of business in its final home games of the regular season on Saturday (Apr. 26). Biola hosts GSAC rivals Hope International University at Freedom Field beginning at Noon.
