LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Junior Taylor Loop belted a pair of home runs--one in each game of the doubleheader--to help Biola to a GSAC sweep over San Diego Christian College, winning by scores of 6-3 and 4-2 on Saturday afternoon on Eagles Diamond. 

The Eagles improve to 16-13 overall and to 9-7 in conference play, moving to within four games of first-place Point Loma Nazarene. The losses drop the Hawks to 8-18 and 2-16 in the GSAC.

Loop had a great day overall, going 3-for-6 with two home runs, a double, four RBIs and a pair of runs scored. He reached base in four of his seven plate appearances. 

In game one, Biola got off to a quick start, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. Chris Foreman led off the frame with a walk, followed by a double off the bat of Brent Chavez to put runners at second and third with no out. Nick Rotkowitz then drove home the first run of the game with an RBI-ground out. 

The Eagles added two more runs in the fourth as Hawkins Gebbers and Loop hit back-to-back homers to left field to make it a 3-0 game.

Meanwhile, freshman Nate Coronado was mowing down the Hawks, retiring the first 12 batters of the game and not allowing a hit until the sixth inning. However, in the eighth, he ran out of gas. With two out, he allowed a single to catcher Jesus Nevarez followed by an RBI-double to Ryan Inverso. San Diego Christian finally knocked him out of the game on a two-run home run off the bat of Scott Whittet which tied the game.

Biola wasted no time taking the lead back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth. Rotkowitz led off the innign with a single and came around to score on a double by Loop. Catcher Daniel Bodemer then followed with an RBI-single to score loop. Pinch-hitter Josh Burket then singled through the left side to extend the inning and Steven Alexander drove home pinch-runner Gil Banwart with a single to cap the scoring.

Alexander, who came on in relief of Coronado, closed out the game in the ninth to pick up his second win of the season, ending the gam with a big strikeout. Coronado allowed three earned on five hits over 7-2/3 innings, striking out six though he did not get a decision. Biola is now 8-0 in games he has started this season.

In the second game, Biola managed just three hits, but still managed to hang on for a 4-2 win.

The Eagles again got on the board in the first inning. Foreman again led things off with a walk, stole second and was moved to third on a flyout by Chavez. Rotkowitz, then drove him in with a sacrifice fly. But Biola was not finished as Gebbers drew a two-out walk followed by another towering home run off the bat of Loop to make it 3-0 early.

The Hawks got a pair of runs back in the top of the second on RBI-singles by Grant Walker and Inverso.

The Eagles picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the third. Chavez led the inning off with a double down the left-field line and came around to score on a two-out single by Brent Opdyke. 

Biola starter Brian Albert settled down over the next three innings, allowing just two hits the rest of the way to earn his first win since Feb. 21. He allowed two runs on eight hits over six innings, recording five strikeouts to improve to 2-5 on the season. Albert is now 2-1 at home with a 2.05 ERA.

Without the services of closer Billy Vopinek, who was home dealing with a family emergency, the Eagles turned back to Alexander to close the game out in the seventh. After Adam McNaught struck out the first batter he faced with one on in the seventh, Alexander came on and retired the final two with flyouts to record his second save on the year.

Biola returns to action on Wednesday (Mar. 25) for the first game of a home-and-home series against GSAC foe Vanguard University. The Eagles travel to Costa Mesa on Wednesday for the 3:00 p.m. start. On Thursday (Mar. 26), the teams face off in La Mirada, completing a suspended game at 2:00 p.m. with the regularly schedule game set to begin 20 minutes after the completion of that game.