RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Biola's struggle with winning one-run games reared its head again as the No. 7-ranked Eagles dropped a pair of one-run decisions in a key GSAC Doubleheader at No. 8 California Baptist on Saturday, falling 3-2 and 2-1.

The pair of losses dropped the Eagles out of first place in the conference as the Lancers take a one-game lead. Biola is now 24-14 on the season and to 18-8 in GSAC play. Cal Baptist takes three of four in the four-game series and wraps up the week with a 33-10 record and an 20-8 mark in the conference.

Of Biola's 14 losses this season, 10 of them have come in one-run games as the Eagles are just 1-10 in such contests. Three of those losses have come over the course of the six games played this week.

Biola's pitching was outstanding on the day, though the pitching from California Baptist was up to the challenge as well.

In the first game, the pitching was solid. Alex Brueske started the first game for Biola and went 4-2/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits. Reliever Bobby O'Neill was saddled with the loss despite not allowing a hit over the final 3-1/3 inning. However, the one run he did allowed proved to be the game-winner.

Cal Baptist opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. Josh Manzano opened the inning with a double, moved to third on a passed ball and scored an unearned run on a hard-hit single to right. 

Biola tied the game in the fourth on an RBI fielder's choice off the bat of Benji Sutherland. The Eagles had loaded the bases with no one out, but were only able to push across the one run as the next two batters after Sutherland struck out to end the threat.

In the fifth, the Lancers went back on top with a pair of doubles, the second--off the bat of Ryan Douglass--driving in a run to put CBU back up 2-1.

Biola once again tied the score in the sixth inning as Mac Sullivan connected on a two-out solo home run to tie the score at 2-2.

However, the Lancers went back on top for good in the eighth, scoring the go-ahead run without recording a hit. O'Neill allowed just three batters to reach base in his 3-1/3 innings, the just came all in a row in the eighth as he hit a batter, walked the next hitter, then hit another batter to load the bases with one out. Manzano then drove home the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to put CBU up 3-2.

Biola outhit the Lancers in the game 8-6 and had baserunners in seven of the nine innings. However, the Eagles would leave seven on base in the game. 


In the second game, it was more of the same for Biola starter Nick Turner, who suffered his third loss of the season despite allowing just two runs in six innings. The sophomore, who has received no more than one run of support in his three losses, gave up two runs on seven hits over six innings. But the offense had trouble getting him runs again.

The Lancers broke the ice with a run in the bottom of the first on back-to-back doubles by Kevin Odom and Brian Sharp. They would add a second run in the fourth on a leadoff home run by Zach Esquerra.

Meanwhile, Cal Baptist starter Devyn Rivera was throwing up zeros, allowing just one hit over the first five innings of the game. Biola finally got to him in the sixth inning. Garrett Leon led off the sixth with a double followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases with no out.  After a strikeout, Sullivan drove ome the Eagles' first run on a fielder's choice before another groundout ended the threat.

Biola put the first two batters on in the top of the seventh (of the seven-inning second-game), but a baserunning mistake erased the runner at second and back-to-back strikeouts ended the game.

Turner suffered the loss to fall to 4-3 while Rivera earned the victory to improve to 7-1.

The Eagles closed out their busiest week of the season, playing six games in six days after playing five games the week before. Biola went 2-4 this week and has another busy week with five games coming up next week. On Monday, the Eagles take on Vanguard in the final make-up game of a rained-out four game series from back in mid-March. First pitch is slated for Monday at 3:00 p.m. Biola then opens a four-game series with No. 12 Fresno Pacific on Wednesday.