La Mirada, Calif. - Eagle Diamond - No. 10-ranked BiolaUniversity defeated the visiting Vanguard Lions 8-2 in a GSAC baseball game, the first game of a four-game series between the Eagles and the Lions. Vanguard returns to Biola tomorrow for another single header while the Eagles travel to Vanguard on Saturday for the final two games of the series, a double header beginning at 11:00 a.m. in Costa Mesa.
Biola jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning off Vanguard's J.R. Bromberg, who was making his team-leading sixth start of the season. Benji Sutherland stroked a two-out single to drive home Michael Annunziata for the Biola run. It was Sutherland again in the fourth inning who singled and stole second with two outs to start BU's second rally. Dustin Williams followed with a walk and both runners scored on a two-run triple by Vinnie Fayard, padding the Eagle lead to 3-0 at the end of four innings.
Junior Jeff Grijalva held the Lions to one hit and no runs, while walking two, hitting two and striking out four Lions in the process. However, the Lions finally got on the board in the sixth when David Kiriakos pounded his first home run of the year, a solo shot to left field off Grijalva.
Biola chased Bromberg in the bottom of the sixth as the Eagles tacked on a three-spot to the scoreboard. Two hits and a walk loaded the bases with no outs and Williams plated the first run of the frame on a sacrifice fly. Two more RBI singles and a hit batter brought on a pitching change by the Lions as Tucker Woods came on to get the final out of the inning. Woods pitched a perfect seventh inning, but ran into trouble with two outs in the eighth. A two-out bunt single and two walks set the stage for a two-run single by Annunziata, increasing the Biola margin to 8-1 heading into the ninth.
Brandon Young lead off with a walk, reaching base for the fourth time in the game, and scored one out later on a double by catcher Nikko Tountas to pull the Lions within 8-2, but Grijalva shut the door on the Lions from there, securing his complete-game win to improve to 3-2. The Eagles rise to 10-12 overall and 4-5 in GSAC with the win.
Young had two of VU's five hits, while Kiriakos and Tountas tallied the only RBIs for the Lions. Bromberg was charged with six runs on ten hits and four walks in the loss. He struck out four in 5.2 innings of work. Woods gave up two runs on two hits and two walks, with two strikeouts in 2.1 innings on the mound. The Lions drop to 8-7 overall and are still looking for their first GSAC win at 0-5. They will have another shot at the Eagles tomorrow, beginning at 3:00 p.m. on the Eagle Diamond.
