Box Score SAN DIEGO ---
Drake Fages broke a tie in the top of the ninth inning with a two-run home run to dead centerfield and Biola survived a rally in the bottom of the ninth to prevail 5-4 over Point Loma Nazarene in the first game of a four-game GSAC series on Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles pick up their third win in their last four games and improve to 20-23 on the season and to 13-12 in conference play. The Sea Lions fall to 16-26 and to 8-17 in GSAC.
Fages homer was just the second of the season for the NAIA Preseason All-American who has been hobbled by injury. However, it came at a big time, breaking a 3-3 tie with two out in the top of the ninth.
After Point Loma was able to get the first two outs of the inning, Vinnie Fayard kept Biola's hopes alive with a single through the left-side. Fages then stepped up and deposited an 0-1 pitch over the center-field fence to give the Eagles a 5-3 lead.
The Sea Lions would not go down quietly in the bottom of the ninth, though. Biola starter Chris Baek, who had been strong through the first eight innings, quickly recorded the first out of the ninth. But after a walk, he was replaced by closer J.T. Mickelson. Clinton Harwick greeted him with a single to put runners at first and second and a single by Rick Gingras would bring home a run and put runners on the corners with one out.
However, Mickelson would settle down and struck out Bryan Burkhead and induce a lineout off the bat of Trey Hunt to end the game and record his third save of the year.
Baek would get the win to improve to 5-4 on the season with his sixth-straight quality start, allowing just four runs on seven hits over 8-1/3 inning. He struck out seven and walked four but kept his ERA under three at 2.88.
Biola got off to a quick start in the game with an unearned run in the top of the first. Benji Sutherland and Johnny Farrington led off the game with singles to start the rally. Fayard would then reach on an error which allowed Sutherland to come home with the games' first run.
Point Loma tied the contest in the second on a solo home run by Burkhead and took the lead in the third, as two walks to lead off the inning would come around to score.
Biola tied the game quickly with a pair in the fourth inning. Mac Sullican walked to open the inning followed by a single through the right-side off the bat of Nick Covyeau. After two outs failed to move the runners, Paul Slater came through with a clutch single to left-center, scoring Sullivan. One batter later, Farrington singled through the right-side to bring home Covyeau with the tying run.
The score would stay the same until the ninth inning produced an exciting finish.
Josh Dexheimer suffered the loss in relief for the Sea Lions to fall to 2-2 on the season.
The two teams play the second game of the series on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at Point Loma before closing out the series with a doubleheader at Biola on Saturday beginning at 12:00 p.m.
