Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Just one day after Biola Baseball benefitted from a late-inning rally the Eagles had to suffer a heartbreaking defeat because of one as Bethesda scored three in the top of the ninth to earn a 7-5 win at Eagles Diamond.
 
Biola had just taken over the lead at 5-4 in the bottom of the eighth inning before the Flames staged the winning rally against Jimmy Gallarda and Buddy Brouwer.
 
Gallarda got called upon for the start, and Head Coach Jay Sullenger was expecting a lot from the junior as the Eagles played their fourth game in as many days and did not have much left in terms of bullpen help.
 
Gallarda delivered with eight strong innings of work, which had him in line for a win headed into the ninth. Sullenger chose to leave him on the bump to start the ninth inning, which turned out to be a decision he would take back after Gallarda let two runners on and got just one out.
 
Brouwer entered the game looking to shut things down and pick up his third save of the season in a pressure-packed scenario. The junior reliever allowed a single to his first batter, which loaded the bases. Then, a wild pitch allowed the game-tying run to score with still just one out.
 
After an intentional walk loaded the bases to set up force outs at any base Brouwer took the next batter to a 2-2 count before he was able to hit one through the gap on the left side to score the two go-ahead runs that allowed Bethesda to get the score to the 7-5 final.
 
It was a heartbreaking way to fall behind and took the wind out of the sails of a Biola team that thought it was going to steal a win from this Bethesda team courtesy the Flames' five errors on the afternoon.
 
All but one of Biola's five runs on the day were unearned and aided in some way by a Bethesda fielding gaffe. The only run that was earned was the run the team got in the bottom of the eighth to pull out to the 5-4 advantage they did have. That came off an Alec de Watteville homerun, his first since Feb. 6.
 
Aside from that big fly Bethesda outhit Biola throughout the day (12-7 hit advantage) as a quartet of Flames pitchers was able to keep the Eagles from stringing too many good chances together.
 
Biola falls to 5-11 with the loss, while the Flames improve to 10-9 on the win after a busy, busy weekend of games at Eagles Diamond where Biola, Bethesda and College of Idaho each played each other multiple times.
 
The Eagles are in the midst of a stretch of 13-consecutive home games. That run continues this weekend with a three-game set against No. 16 Westmont on Feb. 26-27.