COSTA MESA – Vanguard's five-game winning streak came to a halt as Biola posted 10-8 and 6-2 victories in a PacWest baseball doubleheader on Friday at Dean Harvey Field.

The Eagles overcame deficits in both games in the first meeting between the two programs since 2019.

Biola trailed 6-1 and 8-7 in game one before scoring three runs over the final two innings. The Lions led 1-0 behind a stellar pitching performance from Jacob Morales, but the Eagles rode a five-run fifth for another come-from-behind victory in game two.

Vanguard homered four times on the afternoon, continuing a power trend that includes 18 dingers over the last 12 games. The Blue and Gold has tallied at least one home run in 11 of those 12 contests. Jaxson Davis, Colton Perez, Fred Buckson and Levi Hall contributed dingers off Eagle pitching.

Adiel Torres and James Whitman hit back-to-back homers for Biola to help fuel the five-run outburst in game two.

Buckson, Noah Madole and Jarred Mazzaferro had two-hit performances on the afternoon. Colton Perez extended his hitting streak to six straight games.

Biola was led by Isaiah Leon, who totaled six hits in eight at-bats, including a 5-for-6 effort in game one.

The Eagles had another five-run inning in game one, aided by three Lion errors in the sixth. 

Vanguard moved to 18-14 and 14-12 in PacWest action, while Biola improved to 15-14 and 12-10 in the conference.

What Happened?

Game 1 – Biola 10, Vanguard 8

Vanguard struck for two runs in the first as Davis walked ahead of a two-run bomb by Buckson, tying hm for the team lead with his seventh of the season.

The Eagles chopped the VU lead in half on Josh McAninch's sacrifice fly in the second, but VU restored the two-run advantage with one in the third. Madole singled and moved up two bases via a wild pitch and groundout. He came around on a hard shot from Mazzaferro, which hit Biola pitcher Luke Ballantyne and bounced away in the infield.

VU increased the lead to 6-1 in a three-run fourth. Eagle reliever Josh Eigenbrodt gave up a two-out solo home run to Davis, and the Lions pelted him with three more hits with a Buckson base hit, Josh Schleichardt double and Madole single cashing in another run.

Madole got caught in a rundown between first and second – and was eventually tagged out – but Schleichardt scored the sixth VU run before the out was recorded.

Outfitted with a big lead, VU starter Spencer Edmondson scattered five hits through the first four innings. He allowed a single run in the fifth as Nick Madole – Noah's brother – scored on a Leon RBI base hit.

The game unraveled for Edmondson in the sixth, although all five runs he allowed in the inning were unearned. After the leadoff man got aboard via an error, Jonny Tewinkle laid down a perfect bunt single to put runners on first and second.

A sacrifice bunt attempt by McAninch turned into a bases-clearing error as the throw to first sailed past the bag. Tommy Kendlinger and Tewinkle scored as the Eagles trimmed the VU lead to 6-3. With runners at the corners, Leon's single was misplayed by the VU right fielder and rolled all the way to the fence, with McAninch and Noah Ruiz scoring on the play. 

Leon, who scampered all the way to third while the ball was retrieved, scored on a Torres groundout to tie the game at 6-6.

Jack O'Brien tossed two scoreless innings out of the Biola bullpen, but the Lions scored twice off the fourth Eagle pitcher, Jack O'Brasky, in the seventh. The big blow was Colton Perez's two-run opposite field home run to left, which scored Tristan Gallegos following his leadoff single.

The Lions maintained a one-run lead after Biola scored once in the eighth. The Eagles got the first two runners aboard off VU reliever Dakota Henson, so the Lions summoned closer Maxwell Montplaisir in hopes of a six-out save. Montplaisir struck out the first batter he faced, but walked the second to load the bases. Kendlinger's sac fly scored Leon to cut VU's lead to 8-7.

Montplaisir, who had not allowed a run since early February, could not seal the win as Biola took the lead with two runs in the ninth. The right-hander had two outs and a runner on first, but three singles and a hit by pitch plated the go-ahead runs. Biola attempted to score a third run on Luke Caruso's RBI base hit to left field, but Tyler Shigenaka's throw nabbed Torres at home plate.

The Lions went down in order in the bottom half of the ninth as Biola closer Dylan Alanis earned his fourth save. O'Brasky got the win to improve to 2-0, while Montplaisir suffered the loss and fell to 2-1.

Game 2 – Biola 6, Vanguard 4

Morales tossed a career-high 4.1 innings and was masterful throughout the first four frames. He retired eight straight at one point – and except for a pair of Biola doubles – kept the Eagle offense mostly silent.

The Lions staked Morales to a 1-0 lead with a run in the second. Mazzaferro got hit by a pitch and moved to second on Colton Perez's base hit. Mazzaferro scored on a Christopher Famolaro double into the left field alley.

The pitcher's duel turned into a tough fifth for the Blue and Gold. Morales retired the leadoff batter, but surrendered consecutive walks to Tewinkle and Nick Madole. 

Morales departed the game having allowed two hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts. 

Jacob Cuculich inherited the two runners on base, and Ruiz greeted the reliever with a two-run double down the left field line. Both runs were charged to Morales. Cuculich regained some equilibrium as he nailed Ruiz leaning too far off second for the pickoff.

However, Leon drew a two-out walk, and Torres deposited a pitch over the left field fence for a two-run home run and 4-1 Biola lead. Whitman followed with a solo shot up the left field netting to increase the lead to 5-1.

Biola starter Gabe Magallan logged a complete game six-hitter, tossing 106 pitches with three strikeouts. Hall hit a pinch hit home run to center to lead off the sixth and bring the Lions within 6-2, but Magallan set down six of the final seven Lions to end the game.

He improved to 4-1 on the season, while Morales fell to 1-2. 

For the Lions, Zach Saufl and Khoi Anderson each threw a scoreless inning in relief.

What's Next?: The Lions and Eagles square off in another doubleheader on Saturday, with the venue switching to Eagles Diamond in La Mirada. The first pitch is scheduled for noon.