IRVINE, Calif. --- Biola and Concordia split their Saturday doubleheader as both teams put together key innings in their respective win. Biola scored three times in their half of the third to win 5-2 in the first game, but in the late game No. 18 Concordia crammed seven runs into two innings to win 7-3.

Facing a 1-0 deficit in the third inning of the opener, Rob Groeschell knocked one through the left side, bringing in Johnny Farrington and Andres Rodriguez. Boone Farrington got on base in six of his eight at bats on the day. It was his first game in the Eagles' lineup since March 25, and Groeschell welcomed him back by bringing him home to give Biola its 3-1 lead, a lead it would not relinquish.

"We had quality at bats all throughout the lineup today," said Head Coach Jay Sullenger. "It meant a lot to have Boone back in the lineup…When you get a bat like that back in the lineup, it makes the rest of the guys better too."

Biola added another run on Michael Annunziata's RBI single in the fourth, but the earlier scoring binge was more than enough to support an increasingly stingy Biola defense, a defense that did not have an error in game one. It was their first errorless game since a win over Arizona Christian on March 29. Eagles' catcher Sam Thorne also showed off his arm, gunning down two attempted steals by Concordia.

Biola needed its defense as starting pitcher Eric Diomartich did not have his best stuff, giving up five walks in five innings.

"Dio[martich] actually threw pretty poorly," said Sullenger. "But he was able to get himself out of the jam he got himself into by getting guys out when he needed to."
In game two, Concordia seemed to steal Biola's gameplan, putting together all seven of its runs in the third and sixth innings.

After its half of the sixth, Biola had managed to tie the game up, but it all came apart for Sage Poland in Concordia's half of the sixth, when the Eagles of Irvine strung together six hits to score four runs and put the game out of reach.

"Even when we fell behind by a couple runs, the guys battled to get back in it," said Sullenger. "However, in the bottom of the inning they [Concordia] were able to get on Sage a little bit to open it up."

Apart from this treacherous sixth inning, Biola's pitching and defense gave a much better showing than in their previous two series where they allowed 37 runs over four games against CSU San Marcos and Arizona Christian.

"If you take out that inning we definitely won the weekend by playing good baseball. It is tough luck to only get one win out of it," said Sullenger.

He and his team will look for any positives they can find as the losses today put the Eagles' record at 12-34. Biola hosts Vanguard (27-16) in a single game on Wednesday and in a doubleheader on Thursday.