COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Biola's Nick Turner gave up just two runs on six hits in a complete-game performance, but wound up with the loss as Biola dropped a 2-1 decision at Vanguard in a GSAC game on Monday.

The Eagles, ranked No. 19 in the latest NAIA National rankings, had their five-game winning streak snapped and fall to 22-11 on the season and to 16-5 in conference play. The Lions improve to 15-17 and to 11-11 in the conference.

Vanguard opened the game with what seemed to be an insignificant run as Jacob Domingos came up with a two-out single to score Jerry Pena in the bottom of the first. With both teams averaging well over five runs per game, this run seemed to be the first of many to come. However, it proved to one of just three in the low-scoring affair.

Vanguard's Gabrial Garcia matched Turner zero for zero, not allowing Biola many options offensively. Biola had its first real chance to get on the board in the second, putting two on with no out. But a fly out and a pair of ground outs ended the threat quickly. 

In the sixth, Biola loaded the bases with one out but a ground ball back to the pitcher and a ground out to second ended the inning.

Vanguard added a key insurance run in the seventh inning. Jeremiah Mejia drew a one-out walk and one out later Marco Romero collected just the second hit for the Lions over the last six innings. That was followed by their third in the same stretch, an RBI-single by Pena to make it 2-0.


The Eagles finally got on the board in the top of the eighth inning as Garcia began to tire. With two out, Vinnie Fayard reached with a double to left. Drake Fages then singled to left-center to drive home Fayard and cut the Vanguard lead in half. That was followed by a double deep to right center field. Vanguard performed a perfect long relay and was able to gun out Fages at the plate to end the inning.

In the ninth, Vanguard pitcher Robert Purpura came overcame a two-out error to close out the game for his first save of the season.

Fayard, Fages and Loard collected six of Biola's eight hits in the contest, each tallying two. 

Turner surrendered just six hits and struck out three in the game, but suffered the loss, falling to 4-2 on the season. It was his second complete-game loss for Turner on the season. The other was a 3-0 loss at Point Loma Nazarene in the Eagles' first GSAC game of the season.

The game was the second of four makeup games between the two teams from a series rained out in mid-March. The third game of the series is slated for Tuesday at Biola with first pitch coming at 3:00 p.m. The final game of the series is scheduled for Monday at Biola, also at 3:00 pm.