LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Brian Loard's bases-clearing double broke a tie in the fifth inning and Biola held off a late charge for a 9-7 victory over Westmont College in a GSAC game on Thursday afternoon on Eagles Diamond.

The Eagles improve to 12-8 on the season and to 6-3 in GSAC play with the win while the Warriors drop to 9-12 and to 2-8 in conference on the heels of their seventh-straight loss. 

The Warriors opened the scoring in the top of the first, taking advantage of wildness from Biola starter Nate Coronado. The senior walked the first two batters of the game and both came around to score, the first on a sacrifice fly and the second on a Biola error.

The Eagles would tie the game in the second. Mac Sullivan led off the frame with a single and was followed one out later by Loard, who singled as well. After an error loaded the bases, Vinnie Fayard drove in Biola's first run with a single up the middle. The Eagles would tie the score as Johnny Farrington beat out the throw to first on a double-play attempt.

The Warriors answered back with another run in the third. With one out, Coronado walked back-to-back batters and Colten Christianson made him pay with a single to plate one. That would be the final hitter Coronado would face a Christian Kaiser came on and worked out of the inning with no further damage.

Westmont scored one more run on a double by Christianson in the fifth to go up 4-2. But Biola answered back in a big way in the bottom of the frame.

After Vinnie Fayard and Johnny Farrington led off the inning with singles, Christopher Neal singled home one to make it a 4-3 game. With two outs, Sullivan singled to load the bases and the Eagles would tie the score as Drake Fages drew a bases-loaded walk. Loard then greeted new pitcher Mitch Crocker with a shot to left which hit off the top of the wall and cleared the bases, putting the Eagles up 7-4.

Westmont stuck around and pulled within two as Phillip Prickett tripled to lead off the seventh and came around to score on a groundout. 

The Eagles added what proved to be two big insurance runs in the eighth. Brent Opdyke hit a two-out, pinch-hit solo home run to dead centerfield for the first run which was followed by a triple to right center by Boone Farrington. Farrington would come around to score on an error by Westmont to make it 9-5 heading into the ninth.

Biola brough on its closer Cameron McVey, but the junior ran into trouble with the Warriors. He hit the leadoff batter of the inning, who moved to second on a wild pitch, third on a groundout and scored on a balk. With the bases empty and two out, Coby Cress then triple to right and came round to score on a passed ball to make it a 9-7 game. After a walk and a single put the tying runs on base, McVey retired pinch-hitter Michael Kwan with a strikeout to end the game.

Jonathan Cade picked up the win in relief to improve to 1-1 on the year. Cade got a big strikeout to end the threat in the top of the fifth and was on the hill as the Eagles went on top for good. He allowed just one run on two hits over 1-1/3 innings pitched. 

Biola closes out the four-game series on Saturday with a trip to Santa Barbara to face the Warriors in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.