RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Biola rallied from an early nine-run deficit, closing the gap to as few as three but ultimately fell 10-7 to No. 5 California Baptist University in the second game of a four-game GSAC series on Thursday afternoon.

The Eagles drop to 21-14, 14-12 in GSAC play while the Lancers, ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA National rankings, improve to 32-11, 21-5 in the conference.

The day got off to a tough start for Biola and starter Dale Harder as Cal Baptist tallied nine runs in the first three innings to take an early 9-0 lead.

The Eagles jumped right back into the fray with a strong fourth inning, loading the bases, but being unable to push across a run. However, they were able to get on the board in the fifth.

After a leadoff single by Armando Arzate, Boone Farrington rattled a double into right field to put two in scoring position with no one out. An error by the Lancers' second baseman allowed both of those runs to score. Yesterday's hero Brian Loard then drove in the third run with a single, but the Eagles would again leave the bases loaded and still trailed by six.

In the top of the seventh, Mac Sullivan drove home a pair of runs to cut the gap to four, and--after the Lancers got one run back in the bottom of the seventh-Biola would add two more runs in the eighth to pull within three. Trevor Blood drove in the first run with a single, then Vinnie Fayard came around to score on a balk later in the inning.

However, Biola was unable to complete the comeback in the ninth despite bringing the tying run to the plate.

Harder took the loss for the Eagles, allowing nine runs on 12 hits over 3-1/3 innings to fall to 3-3 on the season.

Farrington paced the Biola offense as one of five Eagles with two or more hits, finishing 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored.

The two teams close out the four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday (Apr. 17) beginning at Noon at Eagles Diamond.