Biola’s softball team picked up two wins in a doubleheader against the Lions of Vanguard last weekend but lost two games to the Eagles of Concordia in another doubleheader this week. Softball has now finished its 12th conference game and is about to begin the final half of play this Saturday.
Before the Vanguard and Concordia games were even played, the coaching staff’s expectations for the end of the season seemed high for Biola. However there was a bit of uncertainty about the upcoming games.
“Right now we are focusing on pressure situations so that we can play more relax,” said assistant softball coach Jacquelin Fiorillo. “Sometimes I feel like we can go out there and be the number one team, and sometimes I feel just nervous.”
There was nothing nerve-wracking about Saturday’s doubleheader as the Eagles swept Vanguard University by scores of 4-2 and 6-1. Unfortunately, this Tuesday’s doubleheader may have stirred up the nerves again for Biola’s coaches as they suffered two crucial losses by a score of 1-0 and 3-1.
The battle of the better Eagle took place at Biola’s Freedom Field in the most recent doubleheader. In both games, Biola and Concordia’s pitching remained solid as both teams combined for a total of five runs in 14 innings. Unfortunately for Biola, they only drove in one run.
In the first game, junior Lyndsie Roberts had an impressive outing for Biola as she only allowed one run off six hits in seven innings of work. The run came in the sixth inning as a Concordia hitter smashed a triple down the line. This was soon followed by a picture perfect bunt that allowed the runner at third to score the go-ahead run.
Despite the one run allowed, Biola could not help out its pitcher offensively at the plate. This was in large part due to Concordia’s starter, senior Rachel Reekstin, who allowed only three hits and no runs as she received a complete game victory.
The second game, Biola’s junior Kristen Larson took to the mound giving up only three hits in five and one-thirds innings. However, Biola’s defense accumulated three errors giving two unearned runs to Larson and one unearned run to relief pitcher Roberts.
Biola placed the first run on the scoreboard in its first at bat but were unable to make up more runs for errors made in the later part of the game. It was too late — Concordia had managed to play small ball and it worked for the most part.
In the Vanguard games, the Eagles clearly took advantage of their weaker opponent by scoring a combined total of 10 runs compared to Vanguard’s three runs. Biola is now 16-12 overall and sit alongside archrival Azusa Pacific in the GSAC standings with a record of 6-6. Vanguard has fallen to 4-8 in GSAC, 18-14 overall, and Concordia has jumped up in the conference standings to 7-5 with an overall record of 24-10.
The Eagles will hit the road this weekend to play Point Loma Nazarene for a two-game series starting at noon.
