SAN DIEGO --- Biola scored all three of its runs on one swing in the first game and managed just one hit in the second, dropping a GSAC doubleheader at Point Loma Nazarene by scores of 4-3 and 7-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The losses drop the Eagles to 2-7 on the season and to 0-2 in GSAC play. The Sea Lions improve to 8-2 overall and to 3-0 in conference play.
Biola had a tough time offensively in both games, despite recording 11 hits in the first game. The Eagles fell behind early as PLNU scored a run in the first. Although Biola starter Brian Albert allowed three hits in each of the first three innings, he managed to just allow the one run early.
Biola responded with three runs in the third inning to take the lead as Nick Rotkowitz blasted his first home run of the season, a three-run shot to right field. That hit drove home Chris Foreman and Brent Chavez, who had preceeded Rotkowitz's at-bat with singles.
The Sea Lions finally began to get to Albert in the fourth, but only after an infield error allowed the leadoff batter to reach. Tyler Kuehl made the error standout with a double which plated Miles for the second run of the game for PLNU. After an infield out moved Kuehl to second, Wes Kartch tied the game with a single to right.
Two innings later, Point Loma took the lead as Travis McCleary's RBI-single scored Kaohi Downing, who had reached on a double to left.
Biola had a chance to tie the game or even take the lead in the eighth as Hawkins Gebbers and David West hit singles to lead off the inning. After the next two batters struck out, catcher Tyler Loop drilled a ball to right centerfield. However, PLNU centerfielder Kurt Steinhauer made a spectacular catch to preserve the lead.
Gebbers and West finished the day with each recording three hits in four at-bats. They lead off the second, sixth and eighth innings with back-to-back singles, but were unable to score a run in the game.
Albert took the loss, his second of the season in as many decisions, allowing 15 hits but just three earned runs in the game while striking out three.
The second game completely belonged to Point Loma starter Adam Herter, who allowed just one hit--a sixth-inning single up the middle to Billy Vopinek. He earned the victory to improve to 2-0 overall, tossing the shutout and striking out four.
Meanwhile, Biola starter Calen Pennington surrendered seven hits and five runs over 4-2/3 innings, suffering his first loss of the season.
Pennington allowed just one run in the first four innings of work and looked sharp for the most part. But in the fifth, he ran out of gas. After recording the first out, he surrendered a pair of singles, then walked back-to-back batters, forcing in the second run of the game. After a pinch-hit sacrifice fly made it 3-0, the Sea Lions broke the game open with a two-run double by Alex Cameron.
PLNU would add two more unearned runs in the top sixth to provide the winning margin.
The Eagles return to action on Tuesday (Feb. 17), traveling to Pomona to take on Cal Poly Pomona in a non-conference game beginning at 2:00 p.m.
