LA MIRADA, Calif. – Vanguard baseball returned the favor on Saturday against Biola, handing the home team 8-4 and 8-3 defeats in a PacWest doubleheader sweep at Eagles Diamond.
The Lions responded after dropping a pair of games to the Eagles on Friday at Dean Harvey Field.
VU hit three more home runs in game one – the fourth time in seven games the team has accomplished the feat – and has now totaled 21 dingers over the last 14 games.
Tristan Gallegos, Tyler Shigenaka and Brian Paymard cleared the fence, with Paymard the ninth different Lion to go yard this season.
The long ball supported VU starter Jake Hiner, who logged 7.0 innings and yielded just two runs in one of his best stints this season. He pitched around five walks and struck out four in a 101-pitch effort.
The Lions erupted for six runs in the seventh in game two, turning a 2-1 lead into an 8-1 cushion. Chris Paruleski went 6.0 innings – his third straight start lasting at least that long – and surrendered three runs (two earned) while walking just one and fanning four.
Christopher Famolaro had a 3-for-4 performance with a double, a pair of runs scored and an RBI. Jaxson Davis also tallied a 2-for-3 effort, while Angel Perez drove in two runs.
Vanguard improved to 20-14 overall and 16-12 in the PacWest, while Biola dropped to 15-16 and 12-12 in conference play.
What Happened?
Game 1 – Vanguard 8, Biola 4
The Lion offense took a little time to stir as Biola starter Andrew Zittel retired six of the first seven batters.
Biola took a 1-0 lead in the first as Luke Caruso's single scored Isaiah Leon, who got aboard via a one-out walk.
The Lions tied it in the third on one swing with Shigenaka homering to center field. It was his second home run of the season.
Hiner found his groove and kept the Eagles off the board for five straight innings. Noah Ruiz doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch with no outs in the fifth, but Leon's grounder to third caught Ruiz in a rundown resulting in the first out of the inning. Following a walk to Adiel Torres, Hiner got the next two batters to strikeout and fly out.
The Lions took a 3-1 lead in the fifth as Shigenaka collected a leadoff single. Making just his fifth start of the season, Paymard cranked Zittel's offering over the center field wall for his first career collegiate home run.
A five-run seventh inning put the game out of reach. Shigenaka walked and Paymard got hit by a pitch, chasing Zittel in favor of reliever Nathan Hernandez. Jaxson Davis laid down a bunt single, allowing Shigenaka to score following an error by the Biola third baseman.
Josh Schleichardt brought home Paymard on a sac fly, and Noah Madole extended the inning with a single. With two runners aboard, Gallegos unloaded a three-run blast into right field for an 8-1 VU lead.
Biola scored once in its half of the seventh on a Ruiz solo shot. Hiner matched the longest outing of his career in going the seven innings.
The Eagles cut Vanguard's lead in half with back-to-back solo homers in the eighth.
Biola loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on two walks and a single, but Dylan Henson earned his second save for the Blue and Gold as he struck out Jonny Tewinkle and Sam Lisiak swinging.
Hiner garnered the win to improve to 4-2, while Zittel fell to 0-6 with the loss.
Game 2 – Vanguard 8, Biola 3
Paruleski held Biola scoreless through the first four innings. He pitched around a pair of Eagle baserunners in three of those frames.
VU scored a run in the second as Madole walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch, coming around to score on Famolaro's single.
Famolaro doubled to lead off the fifth and scored on a Davis two-bagger.
The Eagles notched an unearned run in the bottom half, aided by two Lion errors in the inning.
Paruleski pitched a clean sixth which included his third and fourth strikeouts of the game.
The Lions broke open a close game in the seventh with six runs off Dylan Alanis, who had earned the save in one of Friday's victories.
Three Biola errors helped the Lion cause.
Angel Perez hit a two-run double to put the Blue and Gold up 4-1. Jarred Mazzaferro's sac bunt turned into two more runs and Perez and Davis scored on an error by the Biola first baseman. Another error by the Eagle third baseman on Madole's grounder allowed Mazzaferro to cross home plate, and a bases loaded walk to Levi Hall scored the sixth run.
Biola got the first two batters on base in the seventh. Mitch Hunter entered in relief for VU and gave up a two-run single to Torres, with both runs being charged to Paruleski.
But that was all Biola could muster as Hunter struck out Lisiak, and got Caruso and Twinkle to fly out.
What's Next?: The Lions return home on Friday, April 4 to begin a PacWest series with Jessup. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
