Pitching and defense were in short supply in a wild GSAC contest Thursday at Eagles Diamond. The Sea Lions coughed up a late eight-run lead and lost to Biola 16-13 in ten innings. Centerfielder Vinnie Faynard was a one-man wrecking crew for the Eagles, smashing four homeruns and driving in eight.

The loss drops NAIA No. 2-ranked PLNU to 9-3-1 overall, 1-1 in conference play. BU ups their mark to 7-2, 1-1 GSAC. The two sides combined for 29 runs, 26 hits (seven homers), nine errors and nine pitchers used.

PLNU went in front 8-0 after just an inning and half of play. The Sea Lions plated five runs in the first inning capped by a three-run homerun from Jeff Fox. Loma tacked on three more runs in the second, Rashad Taylor drove in one with a single and Wes Kartch hit a two-run double.
 
Daniel Bodemer clubbed a two-run homer for Biola in the bottom of the second to close the gap but PLNU responded in the next half inning with a two-run double from Alex Cameron. The Eagles chipped away at the Sea Lion advantage with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, both coming on solo shots from Faynard.

PLNU tacked on a single run in the sixth when Taylor delivered a RBI hit. The Sea Lions and Eagles headed to the bottom of the eighth with PLNU comfortably ahead 11-4.

That's when the game got interesting.

Biola plated eight runs by banging out four hits, coaxing two walks and taking advantage of two costly Sea Lion errors. Faynard capped the Eagle outburst with a three-run round tripper that erased PLNU's lead and put the home team ahead by one.

Stunned, the Sea Lions lucked out in the ninth when a two-out BU error gave PLNU another out to work with. Allen Boyer made the Eagles pay when he delivered a clutch hit that scored Alec Martinez and to tie the score at 12-all.

Biola failed to score in the ninth to push the game in to extra frames. Taylor ripped a solo homer in the top of the tenth to give PLNU a 13-12 lead. The bomb was Taylor's fourth hit of the game.

PLNU couldn't get out of the home half of the inning, however. Biola tied the score on a double, a sac bunt and a single from Boone Farrington. A hit by pitch put two on base, setting the table for Faynard, who cracked his fourth homer of the day to give the Eagles a 16-13 walk-off victory.

Brandon Dixon started for PLNU and went seven innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits. Kenny Houser, Maurice Wilhelm and Davis Koenig were all hit hard in relief appearances. Koening (0-2) was hung with the loss.

Alex Brueske claimed the win for BU. He was the fifth pitcher to toe the rubber for the Eagles. Mike Frisina started but lasted just 2.2 innings.

The same two squads will play a doubleheader at PLNU's Carroll B. Land Stadium this Saturday starting at 11:00 am.