LA MIRADA, Calif. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team dropped two games against Biola University on Friday in La. Mirada, Calif.

In game one, UCCS (2-4) fell victim to a walk-off Biola (7-1) single in the bottom of the ninth. Both teams recorded 10 hits in the ball game as the Mountain Lions stranded 12 runners on base compared to the Eagles six left on. Five different Mountain Lions recorded an RBI as Matt Berg, Matt Clarke, and John Mallon each tallied two hits in the game.

Friday's game one of the double header saw its first scoring in the first inning as both teams put up one run. UCCS wasted no time in the top of the first with Matt Clarke doubling to left field on two outs as Jake Anderson came up to reach base safely on an infield single that brought Clarke in for the 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, the Eagles tied up the game with a solo home run to bring the score to 1-1.

Later in the game, UCCS broke the 1-1 tie by putting up one run in the top of the fourth. Mallon was the leadoff hitter and reached base by way of hit by pitch as he then stole second base to place himself in scoring position with no outs. After a strikeout, Berg stepped up to drive Mallon in on an RBI single to retake the lead 2-1.

UCCS starter Daniel Silva kept rolling through Biola hitters in the fourth inning as he only gave up the one run and hit in the first inning while striking out four through four innings. In the fifth inning, the Mountain Lions tacked on two more runs to extend their lead. Junior Jaeden Hegmann represented the third UCCS run as he reached on a fielder's choice then was driven in by a Mallon double down the left field line. Following Mallon's extra base hit, Evan Richards, Walker Rumsey, and Matt McDermott drew walks to score Mallon and extend the UCCS lead 4-1.

The Eagles then chipped at the UCCS lead in the home half of the fifth as a two-out single up the middle scored one for Biola to shift the score to 4-2 in favor of UCCS. Biola was not yet finished as they put up three-runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take their first lead of the game. The inning began with a single to get one runner aboard as the Eagles' bats got hot with back-to-back home runs, bringing the score to 5-4.

Trailing by one run and heading into the top of the ninth, starting catcher Ryan Schmidt came up clutch for the Mountain Lions as the redshirt-sophomore hit a solo shot to tie the game up 5-5. With the game tied, Biola went into the bottom ninth where a leadoff double got the inning started. The Eagles went to small ball to advance the winning runner to third base off a sacrifice bunt as UCCS intentionally walked the next two batter to load the bases. UCCS' JJ Rytz was on the mound for the Mountain Lions as he worked Biola's Jacob Portaro to a 2-2 count with Portaro sending the next pitch to center field for the walk-off single.

Rytz was credited with the loss as BU's Josh Lideman came in for relief to throw one and two thirds innings, allowing three hits and one run for the win.

In game two, it was all Biola as a strong pitching performance from BU and lack of UCCS offense led to a 3-0 Eagles win.

The Mountain Lions had a hard time finding a rhythm on the offensive side of the ball as UCCS registered three hits off starting pitcher Larson Kindreich. Kindreich finished the ball game with a complete seven inning game shutout as he registered 15 strikeouts for the win. Senior Christian Manmano started on the mound for UCCS and finished with five innings pitched, five strikeouts, allowing one earned run off four hits as he was credited with the loss.

Each team stranded four runners on base as Biola scored two runs in the second inning off a two-run home run, and one run in the seventh inning off the Eagles' fifth home run of the day.

The Eagles' ability to hit the long ball worked in their favor on Friday as the Mountain Lions left two of their four runners stranded in scoring position during game two.

The Mountain Lions will look to bounce back tomorrow as they prepare for another day of double-header action against Biola at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. (MT).