Box Score COSTA MESA, Calif. --- It was a tough luck loss for the Eagles in game one of its three-game series at Vanguard, allowing three runs over the last three innings to the Lions to blow a 3-2 lead built early on.
 
Both teams got solid starting pitching as Garrett Picha went 4.1 scoreless innings and allowed just four runs in his 7.0 total innings of work. The Lions' Sean Isaac also went 7.0 innings and allowed just the three runs to the Eagles.
 
"We did not do enough to win. We missed an opportunity to gain ground," said Head Coach Jay Sullenger. "The guys competed, but did not win it today."

Those three runs came in back-to-back productive innings, as Biola logged half of its eight hits over the course of the fourth and fifth frames.
 
A one-out Tanner Swire single preceded a Jeremy Barth triple that got the Eagles on the board. Right after that Julian Jarrard singled to push Berth the extra 90 feet around the base path.
 
Biola loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning, but was only able to score one run off a Barth sacrifice fly. That got Picha a 3-0 lead as he was busy mowing down the Lions' big bats, allowing just three base runners through the first four innings.
 
Unfortunately, his streak of success ran out in the bottom of the fifth inning. Vanguard strung three hits together in the fifth to push home two runs and tighten the gap to just one.
 
The Lions also got three hits off Picha in the bottom of the seventh inning to score two more runs and take a 4-3 lead. They'd extend that lead to 5-3 with an unearned run in the eighth inning.

"Picha pitched well, but not well enough," said Sullenger. "We did not catch the balls we normally do and we had some other scoring opportunities bu left guys on."
 
Biola continued to get runners on base over each of the next four innings, but scored no more runs as Isaac and three other Lions' pitchers shut them out to end the game.
 
The Eagles threatened in the eighth inning, getting the bases loaded with just one out, but double play ended the inning with no damage and the Eagles staring at a 3-5 deficit heading into the top of the ninth.
 
Paul Slater got one of his two hits on the day in the Eagles' half of the final frame, but it led to nothing as three groundouts off Vanguard's closer Sam Frakes ended the game.
 
Biola drops to 10-16 (8-14 GSAC) while the Lions improved to 19-11 (13-9 GSAC). The two squads meet for a doubleheader at noon tomorrow.