College Roundup: Vanguard baseball splits doubleheader at Biola

LA MIRADA – Visiting Vanguard University split a pair of Golden State Athletic Conference games at Biola, winning the first game, 10-8, then falling, 16-6, in Game 2 to complete its regular season.

The result leaves the Lions (31-21, 19-11) tied for second place, one half-game behind Hope International (19-10), which will complete a game with Westmont either Monday or Tuesday at Westmont.

Hope International was trailing, 2-0, and Westmont had a runner on first with two outs in the top of the fifth inning when a protest occurred and was subsequently upheld, prompting the resumption of the game from that point.

Should Hope win, it would claim the title outright. If Westmont holds on and defeats HIU, three teams would share the title.

Vanguard has never won a GSAC regular-season title.

In Game 1, Brock Eissman was two for four with a home run and three runs batted in and also recorded the final out for his second save.

Marty McCasland earned the win for the Lions to improve to 7-4.

Conner Grady was three for five with three runs, while Tanner Perry (three RBIs) and Zach Nelson (two RBIs) also paced Vanguard.

In Game 2, five Lions pitchers allowed runs, while the visitors had eight hits and four errors.

A.J. Acton had two RBIs for the Lions.

Vanguard played without senior GSAC Player of the Year candidate Brandon Sandoval, who collided with the outfield fence and left Friday’s loss at Biola.

WOMEN’S WATER POLO

UC Irvine 14, UC Davis 2

DAVIS – Mary Brooks (six goals) and Annika Nelson (15 saves) both set Big West Tournament records to lift the No. 6-ranked and No. 1-seeded Anteaters in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Saturday at UC Davis.

Brooks added two assists and two steals as eight UCI players scored to extend the ’Eaters’ winning streak to 13 games.

UCI (21-6) will face No. 3-seeded Long Beach State in the final on Sunday at 2 p.m. The 49ers upset No. 2-seeded Hawaii, 8-7, in overtime in the other semifinal. UCI defeated Long Beach State, 6-3, on April 20 at Long Beach.

UC Davis is 16-16.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

Orange Empire Conference pairs

The Orange Coast College tandem of Jadelyn Forgiarini and Megan Ritchie won two matches on Friday in Huntington Beach to earn one of eight qualifying berths for the state pairs championships on May 6-7 at West Valley College.

Eight pairs from each of the four conferences will make up the 32-team, single-elimination state tournament.