Box Score COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Biola fell behind early and rallied late, but the rally fell just short in a 5-4 loss at Vanguard University in the first game of a three-game GSAC series on Friday afternoon in Costa Mesa.

The Eagles fall to 25-21 on the season and drop to 13-18 on the heels of another tough one-run loss. Out of Biola's last six losses, four have been by one run and the Eagles are just 3-8 in such games this season. The Lions improve to 19-25 and to 12-19 in conference play.

Biola fell behind early in the contest as starter Nick Turner had an abnormally rough outing, allowing five runs on 13 hits over 5-1/3 innings.

Vanguard got off to a quick start with a run in the second and added three in the fourth inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead.

The Eagles had their chances, loading the bases in the first with no one out and putting at least one runner on in each of the first four innings.

In the sixth, Biola was able to get a pair of runs. Michael Annunziata singled to open the inning followed by a double down the left-field line by Nick Oddo. After a walk to Sage Poland loaded the bases with no one out, Tanner Swire brought home the first run with a ground out and Paul Slater followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-2.

The Lions would get one run back in the bottom of the sixth and the home side maintained a three-run lead until the ninth inning. Benji Sutherland opened the inning with a single and--one out later--Vince Lawrence belted a two-run shot to make it a one-run game. But that would be the end of the rally as a ground out and a fly out ended the game.

Turner took his second-straight loss to fall to 9-4 on the season.

Lawrence went 2-for-5 while Nick Oddo went 3-for-5 in the contest.

The teams close out the three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader at Vanguard beginning at Noon.