Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- In its first multiple-game series of the season Biola Baseball comes away with a series victory as a doubleheader split on Saturday helped the Eagles take two of three from the University of Antelope Valley.
 
Game one saw Jimmy Gallarda throw eight innings of one-run ball and hit a two-run homerun of his own in a 6-1 Biola win. UAV's Travis Holm bamboozled the Eagles with his slider in game two as Biola got seven hits, but left eight runners on base in a 4-0 loss.
 
"It was a good week, and we are excited for our next challenge this Tuesday," said Head Coach Jay Sullenger.
 
Taking two of three from UAV this weekend pushed Biola to 3-1 on the new season and dropped the Pioneers to 4-2 overall. Both teams came into the series averaging more than 10 runs per game, but the story was almost all about the pitchers in each of the games of this three-game set.
 
Gallarda stole the show in today's opener with another steady performance for Sullenger and his teammates. A leadoff double by Nick Ridio in the top of the second inning was the only mistake made by the junior righty out of Lewiston, Texas. That double came around to score to give UAV the only offense it would get in the opener.
 
A strong start from the Pioneers' Ronny Davis kept that 1-0 advantage intact until the bottom half of the sixth inning when Gallarda came up swinging and found himself a long ball that scored himself and Jonas Wellan and put the Eagles on top for good.
 
An Andres Rodriguez single scored one more run for Biola in the sixth. They hung another three in the seventh to blow the game open at 6-1. Gallarda came back out for the eighth and got two fround outs and a line out to end his afternoon before he'd hand the ball to Sean McCarrell with a five-run lead.
 
McCarrell faced three batters in the ninth and set them down in order with one stikeout to secure the victory.
 
"It was a good, clean baseball game," said Sullenger. "We didn't panic even though we weren't scoring early on. We won the second half of the game offensively and Jimmy just kept pitching well. It was one of those wins that you just like to see."
 
The heart of the Eagles' order came through big time for Sullenger in the opener as his 3-6 batters combined for six hits, four runs and two RBI in the win. JD Meyer and Alec de Watteville continued hot starts with two hits apiece.
 
Game two was a bit less pleasing as Holm found his way in and out of jams from start to finish as he helped Antelope Valley steal a win to close out the series. He only struck out two batters, but he also didn't walk anyone in a seven-inning complete game shutout.
 
The Pioneers got two runs in the second inning and two runs in the fourth inning to hand Biola's starter, Sean Rothfuss, his first loss of the new year. Rothfuss struggled with his command throughout his four innings as he walked four batters, hit a guy and gave up seven hits.
 
The bright spot of game two was the relief performances of Gabe Ihrig, Tiger Chase and Daniel Jang. Those three combined to work the final three innings of the ballgame, did not surrender a single hit and faced the minimum number of batters. Prior to that stretch Biola's defense had only posted four other 1, 2, 3 innings in the previous 22 innings of the series.
 
"It's always good to get a young guy some innings underneath him. Tiger's first inning for him looked good as he filled up the zone," said Sullenger. "Jang's a guy we're really excited about. We were hoping to use him in a key spot. Unfortunately we didn't have one, but he'll be ready for Tuesday."
 
Another highlight of the second game was the Eagles' defense. Aside from one error early on Biola's defenders were making great ranging plays and Sam Thorne was going off behind the plate throwing runners out as they attempted to steal.
 
De Watteville made a highlight reel play when he ranged to the second base side of the bag, made a 360 and hurled the ball to Gallarda at first to edge Koa Matson in the second inning (see above).
 
Now the Eagles look forward to their first road action of the new season this Tuesday at CSU San Marcos. Biola takes on the Cougars in San Marcos at 2:00 p.m. BU went 2-2 against CSUSM in 2015.