Site: La Mirada, Calif. (Eagles Diamond)
Game One Score: Biola University 7, Madonna University 1
Game Two Score: Madonna University 7, Biola University 6 (8 Innings)
Records:MU 2-1; BU 6-1
Next MU event: Saturday, February 20 at No. 2 Point Loma (C.B. Land Stadium), 11:00am (PST)

GAME ONE BOX| GAME TWO BOX

LA MIRADA, Calif. (MadonnaCrusaders.com) - -After allowing host Biola University to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, senior Zach Flavin (Novi, Mich.) delivered a home run in the top of the eighth that held up as the No. 21-ranked Madonna University baseball team downed BU 7-6 in eight innings to pick up a split in Friday's (Feb. 19) double header. MU dropped game one 7-1.

GAME ONE
The host Eagles scored a run in the bottom of the first inning before adding three more in the third as the Crusader offense never got on track in the 7-1 loss.

Madonna saw just three runners advance past second base and was unable to plate a run until the top of the ninth when freshman Brad Lineberry (Canton, Mich.) reached on a fielder's choice and moved to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Garrett Rebain (Plymouth, Mich.) roped a single to center that scored Lineberry for the Crusaders lone run of the game.

Junior righty Sam Haldane (St. Thomas, Ont.) took the loss, throwing six and 2/3 innings, giving up six runs on nine hits in falling to 0-1 on the year.

GAME TWO
The offense that went quiet in game one reappeared in game two as the Crusaders plated single runs in each of the first three innings.

In the first junior Shawn Little (Canton, Mich.) reached on a one-out single and after a ground out moved him to second Little came home on a Flavin single to make it 1-0.

After sophomore Billy Hardin III (Livonia, Mich.) reached on a two-out error in the second, Little followed with another single and junior Jeff Bultinck (Sterling Heights, Mich.) followed Little with a single of his own to plate Hardin III and make it a 2-0 Madonna lead.

BU got a run back in the bottom of the second but MU answered back in the top of the third as Flavin led off the frame with a single and moved up on an Eagle miscue that also allowed junior Dan Harder (Brighton, Mich.) to reach base and put runners at second and third with nobody out.

Senior Drew Fry (Madison Heights, Mich.) then drew a walk to load the bases and a wild pitch moved all three runners up and allowed Flavin to score and make it 3-1.

The Eagles made it a one-run game as they pushed a run across in the bottom of the third and the game remained 3-2 until the top of the sixth when senior Ted Toune (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) clubbed his first home run of the season to score Little and Flavin - who had walked and singled respectively earlier - and make it a 6-2 game.

Biola answered back in its half of the inning, plating a pair of runs to see Head Coach Greg Haeger go to his bullpen and bring in sophomore Andy Omilian(Plymouth, Mich.). Omilian allowed the second run to score but got out of the jam with Madonna still on top 6-4.

After MU went quietly in the seventh, BU saw its first two hitters reach base on a walk and a Madonna miscue to put runners at first and second with nobody out. A fly ball moved Garrett Leon to third and a single from Trevor Blood scored Leon and made it 6-5. A foul pop down the third base line allowed Vinnie Fayard to score and tie the game at six-all and send the game into extra innings.

The first two Crusader hitters went down in order to start the eighth, bringing Flavin to the plate. The MU first baseman took Alex Brueske's 1-1 offering over the wall in left to put the Crusaders back on top at 7-6.

Omilian struck out the leadoff hitter in the bottom of the eighth and got Boone Farrington to ground out before allowing a single to Leon. Omilian then induced Fayard to fly out to Toune in left to end the game and give MU the 7-6 win in eight innings.

Omilian (1-0) picked up the win, his first of the season, throwing two and 2/3 innings and not allowing an earned run in relief of starter Kyle Bolton (Burlington, Ont.). The senior righty went five and a third innings, striking out three while allowing four runs in taking the no-decision in his season debut.

Flavin went 4-for-4 with a pair of runs batted in while Little was 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and Toune drove in three for the victorious Crusaders.

Madonna returns to the field on Saturday (Feb. 20), taking on No. 2-ranked Point Loma in a double header slated for an 11am (PST) start at Carol Land Stadium.