IRVINE, Calif. --- Solid pitching coupled with a pair of home runs by Brian Loard led Biola to a doubleheader sweep over Concordia University on Saturday, winning 9-3 and 7-4 to sweep the four-game GSAC series between the two Eagles and maintaining its first-place standing in the conference. 

Biola picks up its fifth win in as many games this week and its 13th win in its 15 games overall. The Eagles remain in first place in the GSAC standings with a 16-4 conference mark, matching its conference win total from last year already. Concordia drops to 18-15, 9-14 in the GSAC.

Loard hit a pair of home runs and drove in five runs in the two games to lead the Biola offense. 

Kevin Ryan was brilliant in his second start of the week, allowing just one earned run on seven hits while striking out four over eight innings. The win came after he picked up the victory over Vanguard on Monday.

The offense came through for him as well, with nine runs in the game. Mac Sullivan started things off with a double in the second inning and was driven in by a ground out to put Biola up 1-0 early.

In the third, Loard hit a two run homer to put the Eagles up 3-0. 

Concordia tallied a run in the bottom of the third inning, but Biola got the run back in the top of the fourth as Benji Sutherland drove home Michael Andrews with an RBI triple to right. 

After Biola was able to add an unearned run in the sixth, Concordia cut into the 5-1 lead with a pair of unearned runs of their own, though Ryan worked out of the jam without more damage with a strikeout.

Biola added an insurance run in the eighth, then broke it open with three in the ninth. In the eighth, Vinnie Fayard picked up an RBI with a ground out and Biola got a pair of runs in the ninth on wild pitches before a sacrifice fly by Johnny Farrington capped the scoring.

In the second game, Biola started out right where it left off with a run in the first. With two out, Fayard singled and came around to score on a double by Drake Fages. 

Concordia came right back with a pair in the bottom of the frame thanks to a two-run shot by Bryan Nicholson.

But Biola wasted no time coming back, plating three runs in the top of the second. With two on and no out, Biola scored the tying run thanks to a Concordia error, then scored two more on a two-run double by Mike Lopez. 

Biola starter Alex Brueske shook off the early runs and pitched well over the next three innings, scattering just three hits. 

Loard would give him a bit more breathing room in the fifth with a three-run bomb which made it 7-2. 

Brueske was chased after a walk and back-to-back singles in the fifth allowed Concordia to get a run back. But it was enough for him to earn the win as he improves to 4-0 on the season.

Concordia would manage an unearned run in the sixth, but Biola closer Cameron McVey came on with two out and recorded the final four outs to earn his fourth save of the week and seventh of the season.

Biola now begins another busy week of at least five games in six days. On Monday, the Eagles head back to Costa Mesa for the second game of the rained out four-game series. Biola then begins a four-game series against No. 9 California Baptist, which trails the Eagles by just one game in the standings. The first two games are at Biola on Wednesday and Thursday at 3:00 p.m. each day with a doubleheader on Saturday at Cal Baptist starting at Noon.