COSTA MESA, Calif. --- After a rough morning, Biola managed to pull out a hard-fought split in a GSAC doubleheader at Vanguard University, winning 4-3 after dropping the first game 7-2 on Saturday afternoon.

The Eagles improve to 24-20 on the season and to 5-7 in conference play while the Lions move to 21-21, 2-10 in the GSAC.

Saturday got off to a rough start for the Eagles as starting shortstop Lauren Gandy had to a make an emergency trip to the hospital and one of the team vans had trouble and didn't arrive at the field until 15 minutes before the start of the game. Gandy was given a clean bill of health and played in the contest, though she was obviously not at 100 percent.

The team got off to a rough start in the first game as a result, quickly falling behind 7-0 in the opener. Biola was able to rally for a pair of runs in the seventh, but still fell five short in the end. 

In the second game, neither team was able to get on the board until the Lions scored in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Eagles answered right back with two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead right back, both runs coming via Vanguard errors.

The Lions tied the score in the fifth by manufacturing a two-out run to make it 2-2. Biola wasted little time taking the lead right back thanks to the Larson twins. With one out, Kristin Larson singled and moved to second on a ground out. Leslie Larson then stepped up and doubled her home with a shot to left-center.

Biola added a big insurance run in the top of the seventh. Jillian Storm opened the inning with a bunt single, stole second and reached third on an infield ground out. With one strike, CeCe Luster then laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Storm and put the Eagles up 4-2.

Vanguard made things interesting in the seventh, scoring a run with two out. The Eagles elected to intentionally walk Kaysie Flask, who had gone 5-for-6 in the two games to that point. The move paid off as Luster was able to get Elizabeth Archer to fly out to end the game.

Luster earned the win, improving to 10-8, allowing three runs on eight hits over seven innings. In addition, she collected three RBIs on the day to give her 54 on the season, breaking the school record of 52 set by Joanna Gray in 2002.

Storm had a solid offensive day, going 4-of-6 with three stolen bases. That gave her 49 on the season and 73 in her career. She is in a neck-and-neck race with fellow senior Lauren Gandy--who has 76--for the school career steals record.

Kristin Larson also went 4-for-6 on the day for the Eagles.

Biola returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Riverside for a tough doubleheader against No. 1 California Baptist University, beginning at 5:00 p.m.