LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Brent Opdyke hit a two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh to give No. 9 Biola a walk-off 7-5 win over Point Loma Nazarene University in a big GSAC contest at Eagles Diamond on Monday afternoon.

The Eagles pick up a key victory, improving to 28-16 on the season and--more importantly--moving within one game of first-place California Baptist University in the GSAC standings with a record of 22-10. The Sea Lions, who have been one of the hottest teams in the GSAC over the last month, drops to 23-17, 18-14 in the conference.

Opdyke's shot was a big one, a no-doubt-about-it blast to right centerfield with one on and two out in the final scheduled inning of a 5-5 tie. His home run was one of three on the day, the other two coming off the bat of Brian Loard, who now has nine of the season.

The game was the final make up game for the Eagles, who have had to play 14 GSAC games over the last 17 days. It was scheduled as a seven-inning game as a make-up for the second game of a scheduled doubleheader back in March.

Biola got off to a quick start in the contest, scoring one in the bottom of the first inning as Boone Farrington and Drake Fages collected back-to-back doubles. 

Point Loma answered back with a run in the top of the second only to see Loard smash his first home run of the day in the bottom of the frame to give the lead back to the Eagles.

The Sea Lions to the lead right back with a two-spot in the third as Rashad Taylor drove home a pair with a two-out single to make it 3-2.

The score would remain the same until the bottom of the fifth when Loard belted his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to left-center. 

However, Point Loma Nazarene came right back with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth on a single and sacrifice fly to go back up 5-4. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Biola managed to tie the game at 5-5. Benji Sutherland reached on a one-out double which was followed by a single by Michael Andrews to put runners on the corners. Farrington then came through with a clutch single to tie the game before a double play ended the threat.

After Biola closer Cameron McVey retired the side in order in the top of the seventh, it looked like extra innings were coming as the first two Eagles were retired in the bottom of the inning. But Loard collected his third hit of the game with a single through the right-side which was followed by Opdyke's blast to end it.

McVey picked up the win to improve to 2-2, coming in to replace starter Kevin Ryan, who went 5-1/3 innings and left with the lead. 

The final week of the GSAC slate now becomes a huge one as Biola trails Cal Baptist by one game with four to play. Since the Lancers hold the tiebreaker by winning the season series, the Eagles must win two more games than Cal Baptist to claim the GSAC title outright. The Lancers play a four-game series against Point Loma Nazarene while Biola faces The Master's College to wrap up the season. Both series begin on Wednesday, April 27. 

Biola takes a well-deserved break for the next three days--the first three-day stretch without a game since March 22-24--then return to action on Friday, hosting a three-game non-conference series with Patten University.