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LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Vinnie Fayard and Nick Covyeau each went 3-for-4 with home runs in the final two innings as Biola salvaged a split with an 11-7 win over Azusa Pacific in a GSAC doubleheader on Saturday after falling 7-5 in the opener.

The Eagles end the day at 7-10 and pick up their first GSAC win to move to 1-3. The Cougars take the series and improve to 10-5 and to 3-1 in conference play.

Fayard finished with five hits in nine at-bats, capping an impressive series against the Cougars. The senior went 11-for-18 (.611) in the series with a home run, four RBIs and four runs scored. He accounted for nearly 25% of the team's 45 hits in the four-game set.

Covyeau went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader with three RBIs and two runs scored, giving him six total hits in the three games of the series.

The back and forth second game started with Biola scoring an unearned run in the first with Covyeau driving home the run with a single up the middle.

Azusa Pacific answered back with a pair of runs in the second and added another in the third to take a 3-1 lead. But the Eagles struck back with on in the third on an RBI single by Fayard and took back the lead with five in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fourth, Michael Chriss drove home a pair of runs with a bases loaded single to give Biola the lead back. After a hit batter and a pop out, Tanner Swire cleared the bases with a long single to left-center field to make it 7-3.

Azusa Pacific again closed the gap, scoring three in the top of the fifth, chasing Biola starter Kevin Ryan. But reliever Karl Stuck got the final out of the inning via flyout to shut down the Cougars and preserve the lead.

Biola then added on in the bottom of the frame as Covyeau led off with a solo home run to make it 8-6.

After Stuck retired the Cougars in order in the top of the sixth, the Eagles added more insurance with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame. Paul Slater opened the frame by reaching on a wild pitch after a missed third strike and came around to score on a single by Benji Sutherland. Two batters later, Fayard capped a solid day by crushing a two-run home run to left to make it 11-6.

Azusa Pacific would score one final run in the top of the seventh as Jordan Leyland hit a solo home run--his fourth in the series and second on the day--to cap the scoring.

Ryan picked up his first win of the season after struggling through his first three starts. The senior allowed five runs on nine hits, but struck out six over 4-2/3 innings pitched. Stuck earned the save by allowing just the solo home run over the final 2-1/3 innings.

Biola got the jump on Azusa Pacific in the first game with two first-inning runs. Sutherland led off the game with a single and advanced to second on a walk to Dustin Williams. The pair advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch and back-to-back RBI groundouts by Fayard and Sullivan made it a 2-0 game.

Azusa Pacific would take the lead back in the third as Leyland crushed a three-run home run to left.

It took a while, but Biola took back the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. Fayard reached on a one-out, infield single which was followed by a single to center by Sullivan. Covyeau brought home Fayard with a double down the left-field line and pinch-runner Swire scored on an RBI-groundout by Sage Poland to make it 4-3.

However, the lead was short-lived as Azusa Pacific got a two-out RBI single in the seventh to tie the game. The Cougars would take back the lead with a two-spot in the seventh, ending the day for Biola starter Nick Turner.

The Eagles kept the game close with a run in the eighth as Fayard singled, moved to second on a single by Covyeau, third on a fielder's choice and scored on a wild pitch.

After a sacrifice in the top of the ninth gave Azusa Pacific back its two-run lead at 7-5, Biola mounted a rally in the bottom of the ninth. With one out, Johnny Farrington and Sutherland singled to put the tying runs on base. A groundout by Williams would up the pair in scoring position, but the Cougars were able to end the game by coaxing a pop out out of Fayard.

Turner suffered the loss--his first of the season--to fall to 1-1 on the season. He allowed six runs on 14 hits, but struck out seven and kept the team in the game through 7 innings.

Biola now sets its sights on Westmont, opening a four-game series against the Warriors on Thursday in Santa Barbara. The teams play Thursday and Friday at 2:00 p.m. at Westmont before returning to La Mirada for a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.