LA MIRADA, Calif. --- CeCe Luster drove home the tying run with a double and came around to score the go-ahead run on a single by Lyndsie Roberts as Biola battled back from an early deficit to defeat No. 24 Azusa Pacific 3-2 in the second game of a GSAC doubleheader on Tuesday, earning a split after falling 5-1 in the opener.

The Eagles end the day with a 23-17 record on the season and sit in fourth place in the conference with a 4-6 GSAC record. The Cougars, who moved into the NAIA Top 25 earlier in the day, are now 20-16 and one game ahead of Biola at 5-5 in conference play.

The two games were hard fought on both sides with pitching dominating play as neither team was able to record more than six hits in each game.

Azusa Pacific got off to a quick start in the second game thanks to a monster two-run home run off the bat of Olivia Wilcox which cleared the scoreboard in left field to put the Cougars up 2-0 early.

Biola answered back with a manufactured run in the bottom of the frame. Lauren Gandy started the rally by being hit by a pitch, then stealing second base. One out later, she came around to score on a single by Roberts.

The score would remain the same until the fifth inning when Gandy started another rally. With two out, she was again hit by a pitch and again stole second. Luster then doubled just off the top of the fence in left-center field to score Gandy with the tying run. Roberts then drove home her second run of the game with a single to left-center to welcome new APU pitcher Taryn Devich into the game.

Luster, who came on to pitch in the first inning, then worked out of a brief jam in the sixth and made way for fellow freshman Shaylynn Weststeyn, who came on in the seventh to close out the game.

Luster, who took the loss in the first game, got the win in game two, ending the day with a 9-8 overall record with her seventh decision in Biola's last nine games.

The first game started out well for the Eagles, who got on the board early with an unearned run in the third. Jillian Storm reached on an error and stole second--her NAIA-best 45th stolen base of the season. Gandy then drove her home with a single to right to make it 1-0.

But Azusa Pacific answered right back in the top of the fourth as Brandi Andrews hit a three-run shot to left to put the Cougars on top 3-1.

Biola was able to get a runner on base in every inning but the first, but couldn't string them together to get another run the rest of the game.

APU tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning and held on for the 5-1 win. Davish picked up the win to improve to 6-5 while Luster took the loss. Luster allowed two earned runs on just two hits over 3-1/3 innings, striking out four while walking two.

Biola returns to action on Friday, traveling south to face No. 4 Cal State San Marcos in a non-conference doubleheader in San Marcos. First pitch is slated for 2:00 p.m. The Eagles then return to GSAC play on Saturday with a doubleheader at Vanguard University beginning at Noon.