LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Drake Fages hit three home runs on the day including two in back-to-back at bats in game two as Biola swept a non-conference doubleheader from Arizona Christian University by scores of 8-4 and 8-5 on Thursday afternoon.

Fages paced the Biola (5-5 overall record) with a 3-for-4 afternoon, reaching base in six of his eight plate appearances. He finished with the three home runs, six RBIs and  four runs scored. 

Nate Coronado was outstanding in his second start of the season, allowing one run on five hits over six innings in the first game of the doubleheader. The win helped him run his record to 1-1 on the year. 

Biola struck early in the first game, scoring four runs on only two hits in the bottom of the second. After a walk and a hit batter started out the inning, Brent Opdyke drove in the first run with a single to right. Two outs later, another walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for Vinnie Fayard who drove in two with a single to center. 

The Eagles would add one more in the third on a solo shot by Fages to make it 5-0.

After Arizona Christian tallied one in the top of the fourth, Biola answered back with a three-spot in the sixth. Fages and Michael Andrews drove home runs with sacrifice flies after the Eagles loaded the bases with no one out. Mike Lopez then drove home another run with a double to left to make it 8-1.

ACU added two runs in the seventh on a two-out, two-run single by Garrison Hensley, then tacked on another in the eighth on an RBI-groundout by Justin Klett. But they would go in order in the ninth as Biola held on for the win.

Game two started out with Arizona Christian jumping out to the early lead with a run in the top of the first. Biola starter Erick Allen struggled with his control in the first, walking three batters including one with the bases loaded to plate the first run. 

Biola got the run back in the bottom of the second on an RBI-double by Josh Burket only to see Arizona Christian answer back with two in the top of the third. 

But Biola took control in the bottom of the third with a five-run inning. Fages tied the score with a two-run shot to left-center field where it landed in nearly the same spot as his game one solo shot. The Eagle then benefitted from a pair of errors to score three more runs with Christopher Neal driving home the final two with a single up the middle.

Fages added two more insurance runs in the fourth with his second two-run home run in as many at-bats to make it an 8-3 game.

Arizona Christian got one run back in the fifth and scored an unearned run in the seventh, but was unable to complete the comeback.

Allen was only able to go two innings after being hit by a comebacker in the third. Alex Brueske picked up the win in relief, going three innings, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out five.

Garrett Leon finished the day going 4-for-5 with a double and four runs scored for Biola. 

The Eagles open GSAC play next, starting the conference schedule out against No. 8 Point Loma Nazarene next week. Biola plays single games in San Diego on Wednesday and Thursday at 2:00 p.m., then host the Sea Lions in a doubleheader on Saturday (Feb. 26) beginning at 11:00 a.m.