GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Taylor Loop went 3-for-4 and had a key two-run double as Biola came back from an early six-run deficit and beat No. 3 Point Loma Nazarene 9-7 in the first game of a GSAC doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The Sea Lions won the second game by a score of 11-0 to salvage a split.

Biola ends the day at 18-16 overall and 11-10 in GSAC play while Point Loma Nazarene moves to 23-8 on the season and remains in the top spot in the conference with a 17-5 record.

In the first game, Biola fell behind early as starter Nate Coronado struggled uncharacteristically. Kurt Stienhauer got the Sea Lions on the board with a run in the first inning on a solo home run to left.

In the second inning, Point Loma Nazarene added two more runs on another long ball, this one coming off the bat of Tyler Kuehl to stretch the lead to 3-0.

The Sea Lions broke the game open with a three-spot in the third. After a one-out walk, Steven Winnick hit a single to put runners on the corners. Kevin Newburg then executed a perfect bunt single to bring home the first run of the inning. An infield out moved both runners up 90 feet and they came around to score on a two-out, two-run double to make it a 6-0 game.

Biola came back with five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate to pull within one. Brent Chavez and Brent Opdyke collected back-to-back RBI-singles for the first two runs. With two out and the bases loaded, David West lofted a two-run single to center and the Eagles picked up the final run of the frame thanks to a fielding error by the Sea Lions.

The Eagles would tie the game in the next inning on a solo home run to left field by Hawkins Gebbers, his seventh of the season.

In the sixth inning, Biola took the lead in the sixth on a pair of unearned runs. Pinch-hitter Gil Banwart reached on a one-out error to start things off followed by a single through the right-side by Chris Foreman. After an intentional walk to Gebbers loaded the bases, Taylor Loop followed with his third hit of the game, plating a pair of runs to give the Eagles an 8-6 lead.

Point Loma got a run back in the seventh inning as Kaohi Downing led of with a single and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Travis McCleary.

Biola picked up a big insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning as West walked with one out, moved to third on a single by Foreman and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rotkowitz.

Mike Frisina (2-0) picked up the win in relief for the Eagles, allowing just one hit over 3-2/3 innings of relief. Closer Billy Vopinek picked up his 10th save of the season, pitching the final two innings without allowing a hit.

Coronado had his worst outing of the season, allowing six runs on five hits over 2-1/3 inning, but was bailed out by his offense. The Eagles are now 8-0 in games he has started this season, though he is 3-0.

In the second game, PLNU starter Andrew Bovich was virtually unhittable, allowing just three hits over seven innings to improve to 6-0 on the season and lower his ERA to 1.65 with his second shutout of the season.

The Sea Lions again opened up an early lead, scoring three times in the second and adding three more in the third. Downing had the big hit in the second, clearing the bases with a three-run double to deep right-centerfield.

In the third, Point Loma added three more runs, two coming on a blast by McCleary over the left field fence. The Sea Lions would score one more run on a sacrifice fly later in the frame.

With Biola unable to muster more than a single off Bovich, Point Loma kept up the pressure offensively and put the game away with two more runs in the sixth. Kuehl led off the inning with a double, reached third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout. Downing then followed with a triple to left and came around for the eighth run on a sacrifice fly.

PLNU closed out the scoring with a three-spot in the seventh, benefiting from a Biola error to score two of those runs.

Brian Albert took the loss for the Eagles, falling to 2-7 on the season and dropping to 2-2 at home. 

Biola returns to action on Wednesday (Apr. 1), traveling to California Baptist University for the first of a home-and-home series with the Lancers. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.