La Mirada, Calif. - Moving up to No. 7 in today's NAIA Baseball poll, Biola University broke up a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the eighth inning to take a 6-3 victory over the Vanguard University Lions in the second game of the four-game series between the two institutions.
The Blue and Gold jumped out to a quick lead, putting up three first-inning runs. Sean Wilson walked and stole second before scoring off a throwing error by BU pitcher Bobby O'Neill. Kyle Hardman delivered the big blow of the inning when he doubled to right center, scoring Jake Domingos and Jason Dovel.
Biola responded in the bottom of the third inning, scoring two runs off Vanguard starter Bryce Reid, trimming the lead to a single run. The Eagles evened the score in the bottom of the seventh inning when Mac Sullivan led off with a double and scored one out later on a double from Vinnie Fayard.
The Biola defense blanked the Lions after the first inning, and the Eagles added three more runs in the bottom of the eighth inning as Garrett Leon cracked a bases-loaded double down the left field line to score what proved to be the game-winning runs.
The offense for the Lions was headlined by Dovel who had two hits and scored one run and Hardman who notched two RBI.
The Eagles' Garrett Leon finished with two hits and three RBI during the contest, while Fages had one run, one hit, and two runs batted in.
Vanguard finished with three runs off six hits, while Biola scored their six runs on nine hits. The Lions committed two errors to BU's one.
Vanguard starter Bryce Reid lasted 5.1 innings, allowing two runs stemming from four hits. He also walked five batters and struck out three. Reliever James McGeary pitched 1.1 innings, allowing one run resulting in two runs scored. Antonio Peraza and Jerry Pena pitched 0.2 innings each to round out the game, and Peraza took the loss.
Biola starter Bobby O'Neill pitched 7.0 innings, giving up five hits resulting in three runs. Matt Samsvick pitched 0.1 innings and Jonathan Cade earned the win in just 0.2 innings of scoreless work. Cameron McVey earned the save for the Eagles, his eighth on the season.
The loss dips the Lions' season record to 15-18, 11-12 in GSAC. The Blue and Gold will battle the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds at home on April 7th at 12:00 p.m. The two teams will play a pair of nine-inning games.
