LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola's impressive offense ran headlong into a strong pitching performance by the visitors as No. 2 Point Loma Nazarene defeated the Eagles 9-2 in the GSAC opener for both schools at Eagles Diamond on Wednesday afternoon.

The Eagles fall to 6-2, 0-1 in GSAC play. The Sea Lions improve to 9-2-1 and to 1-0 in conference action.

Junior pitcher Jeff Grijalva (2-1) had a tough outing for Biola. He threw 102 pitches over four innings, allowing four earned runs on three hits while walking seven, hitting a batter and striking out four.

Meanwhile, PLNU starter Steven Winnick (2-0) was masterful for the Sea Lions, scattering three hits over seven shutout innings, striking out five, walking two while throwing just 85 pitches. The Point Loma offense--which had been a bit dormant early this season--came to life to back up the solid start by Winnick.

Grijalva was in trouble throughout the game, but worked out of jams in the first two innings. He left the bases loaded in the first thanks to a fly out to deep center, then received help from centerfielder Vinnie Fayard, who made a diving catch to save two runs in the second. 

But the luck ran out in the third as Point Loma got on the board with a pair of runs on a Tyler Kuehl two-run home run to left-center field.

In the fourth, the Sea Lions added two more runs on a bases-loaded single by Winnick, followed two batters later by a bases-loaded walk to Wes Kartch.

Bobby O'Neill came on in relief in the fifth, but was tagged for a pair of unearned runs as the Biola defense faltered. A pair of fielding miscues by Armando Arzate put two on with no one out and a passed ball moved the runners up 90 feet. A bloop single by Drew Bernhard drove home one run while Alex Cameron's groundout plated another.

Point Loma added two more in the seventh on a two-run homer by Allen Boyer and another in the eighth on an RBI, pinch-hit single by Jeff Fox.

Biola was able to scratch out two runs in the ninth inning on RBI-singles by James Petrilli and Rucky McKinley.

Boyer finished the game going 2-for-5 with a double and a home run and was the only player on both teams to record multiple hits.

The two teams return to action on Thursday (Feb. 25) for the second game of the four-game series. The series wraps up with a doubleheader in San Diego on Saturday.