FRESNO, Calif. --- Biola dropped a pair of close contests against No. 24 Fresno Pacific University on Saturday, falling 17-13 in a 12-inning marathon and suffering a tough 7-6 loss in the seven-inning nightcap in a GSAC doubleheader at FPU Field in Fresno.

The Eagles drop to 23-19 with the losses and sit tied for fifth with The Master's College in the GSAC at 15-17. Biola and the Mustangs close out the regular season against each other with a four-game series starting on Wednesday. The Sunbirds improve to 27-13 overall, 19-13 in GSAC play.

After a wild doublheader on Wednesday between the two teams produced a 50-run game and a late, come-from-behind victory by Biola in the second, the games on Saturday should not have come as much of a surprise. Alec Mehrten's walk-off grand slam capped an extra-inning, back-and-forth affair in the first game and clutch pitching proved to be the biggest factor in a one-run battle in game two.

Biola got off to a quick start in the first game with three-straight singles by the first three batters to load the bases in the first. Trevor Blood then cleared them just as quickly with a grand slam--the first of three homers for the junior on the day.

Fresno scored one in the second, but the Eagles came back with a two-spot in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Garrett Leon to go up 6-1.

The Sunbirds quickly closed the gap with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and--after a Biola run in the top of the fifth--took the lead with a five-run fifth.

Biola took back the lead in the seventh. Blood led off the frame with a solo home run and the Eagles added two more, one on an RBI-single by Brian Loard and the other on a sacrifice fly by Christopher Neal.

But Fresno once again answered back with three in the bottom of the frame--two of which were unearned--to go back on top 12-10.

The score would remain that way until the top of the ninth. Loard led off the inning with a double and came around to score on a two-run home run by Mac Sullivan to tie the game. After Fresno went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, the game headed to extra innings.

Biola took back the lead in the 11th inning as Leon was issued a bases-loaded walk to give the Eagles a 13-12 lead with just one out in the frame. But a strikeout and pop out ended the threat.

In the bottom of the 11th, the Sunbirds were down to their final out when Matt Souza came through with a solo home run to center field to tie the game and force more extra innings.

After Biola failed to score in the top of the 12th, Fresno threatened with a one-out double by Case Rigby. A wild pitch would move him to third forcing the Eagles to have to walk the bases loaded to get a force out at home. But Mehrten stepped in and hit the first pitch he saw over the center-field fence for the walk-off winner.

Kyle Atkins (4-2) suffered the loss for Biola, pitching the final 3-1/3 innings after throwing six innings on Wednesday. Matt Mazzoni, who earned both decisions in Wednesday's doubleheader, won the game for Fresno Pacific to improve to 5-2.

The second game started out with another home run off the bat of Blood, this time a two-run shot to put Biola up 2-0 early.

Fresno came right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning on a two-run single by Rigby.

The Eagles would take advantage of a Fresno error in to score one in the top of the third, only to see the Sunbirds go back on top with three runs in the third--two on an Andrew Douglas home run.

Biola went back on top in the fourth, chasing FPU starter Kelyn Schellenberg by scoring three runs without an out. But Michael Rivera came on in relief and shut the door, getting a double play and a strikeout to end the inning.

Mehrten, who entered the game with just four home runs on the season, led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo shot to tie the game at 6-6. Later in the inning, Tyler Pryor would put Fresno Pacific back in the lead with an RBI-single.

Biola would get just three batters on base the rest of the way as Rivera held the Eagles to just two hits over the final four innings. Their best chance to tie the game came in the sixth as Sullivan led off with a double. But back-to-back strikeouts followed by an infield pop out stranded him at second.

Rivera picked up the win in relief to improve to 3-0 while Alex Brueske took the loss to fall to 5-6.

Biola concludes the regular season next week with a big GSAC series against The Master's College. Both teams are tied for fifth in the conference at 15-17, just two games ahead of seventh-place Concordia. The top six teams advance to the GSAC Championship tournament, likely to be hosted by California Baptist University beginning on May 5.

The series against The Master's College begins on Wednesday (Apr. 28) and Thursday (Apr. 29) in Santa Clarita. The series concludes with a doubleheader in La Mirada on Saturday (May 1).