LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola put up a strong effort but was unable to walk away with a victory, dropping a pair of GSAC games to No. 5 California Baptist University by scores of 17-12 and 6-5 on Saturday afternoon at Eagles Diamond.

The loss drops the Eagles to 21-16 and to 14-14 in conference play while the Lancers, ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA National Rankings, improve to 34-11 on the season and remain atop the GSAC standings with a record of 23-5.

After getting blown out in the first game of the afternoon, Biola engaged in an impressive pitcher's duel with Cal Baptist in a close second game.

Each team scored a run in the first inning with Cal Baptist scoring on an RBI-ground out and Biola tying the score with an unearned run.

With the score still tied at 1-1 in the fourth, the Lancers took back the lead with a pair of two-run home runs, the first by Sharif Othman and the second by Matt Daughtry.

Biola closed the gap with a three-run bottom of the fifth. Pinch-runner Phil Blazek came around to score the first run on a wild pitch after Daniel Bodemer opened the inning with a single. Vinnie Fayard then drove in the other two with a two-run single to make it a 5-4 game. The Eagles would load the bases with two out in the frame but were unable to push across the tying run.

Cal Baptist got a big insurance run to start the top of the sixth as relief pitcher Corey Kiefer led off the inning with a solo shot to give the visitors a 6-4 lead.

Biola would make things interesting in the bottom of the seventh of the seven-inning game. With one out, back-to-back walks and a single by Benji Sutherland would load the bases for the Eagles and a wild pitch would plate Fayard to close the gap to 6-5. Cal Baptist was able to get the final two outs though via a strikeout and fly out to end the threat.

Alex Brueske pitched all seven innings for the Eagles, suffering the tough loss to fall to 5-4 on the season.

In the first game, Biola was unable to keep up with the high-scoring Lancers, who tallied a run in every inning but the sixth.

The Lancers were led in the game by Brian Sharp, who hit two home runs--a grand slam and a three-run shot--and finished with eight RBIs.

Biola fell behind 6-0 heading into the bottom of the second, but was able to cut the gap with three runs on just two hits. Bodemer drove in the first run with an RBI single followed two batters later by a two-run single by Boone Farrington.

Cal Baptist tallied one run in the top of the third, the Eagles came right back with two runs on a two-RBI double by Mac Sullivan to make it 7-5.

But that would be the closest Biola would get as the Lancers scored one in the fourth and added five in the fifth, capped by a grand slam by Sharp.

The Eagles were able to get the five runs back in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to some shoddy defense by the Lancers, closing the gap to 13-10.

But Cal Baptist continued to pull away with two in the seventh, one in the eighth and one in the ninth. Biola would rally with two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but it would fall far short.

Bobby O'Neill took the loss for the Eagles, allowing seven earned in three innings.

Farrington finished the first game with five hits in six at-bats to pace the offense.

Biola returns to action on Monday, hosting Cal State San Marcos in a non-conference game beginning at 2:30 p.m.