Softball won their first home games of the season in a doubleheader Tuesday afternoon, defeating Dakota Wesleyan University 10-2 and 5-1.
After closing out February with a record of 4-12, the softball team found themselves in quite the pickle. Fortunately, this past weekend changed that as the Eagles went five for five at the Tucson Invitational Tournament.
Biola outscored their opponents 35-7 over the five-game span, which included two solid shutout victories: 7-0 against Concordia College, Minnesota and 6-0 against Aquinas College.
Strong Friday leads into great tournament close on Saturday
Following the drubbing against Concordia College on Friday morning, the Eagles allowed an early run to Trinity International University. Biola rallied back, putting up nine consecutive runs and taking the second game of the day in style, 9-1. In the final game on Friday, the Eagles were led by freshman Heather Hall, who had three triples and finished the afternoon going 4-4. Despite giving up several runs, Biola cruised to a 6-3 win over Madonna University.
The surging Eagles followed up a successful Friday with solid wins on Saturday to close out the tournament. Aside from defeating Aquinas, Biola also pulled out a 7-3 win over Siena Heights University. They were also slated for a Saturday afternoon game against University of Great Falls, but it was canceled due to travel issues.
First home wins come at Dakota Wesleyan's expense
Following a strong showing in the desert, the Eagles returned home looking to ride the momentum of the weekend.
Game one against the Tigers started slow but quickly turned into a blowout. Dakota Wesleyan put up two runs in the first to grab an early lead, but it was all Eagles from there. Biola put up one run in the second, six runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth to end the game early at 10-2 due to the mercy rule.
In the second game, Biola picked up runs in the second, fourth and sixth innings to take a 5-0 lead. Dakota Wesleyan eventually picked up a run in the sixth, but thanks to staunch defense and solid pitching, the Eagles held a possible late run by the Lions and picked up their seventh win in five days.
Sarah Enriquez proved to be invaluable for the Eagles over the current streak. The sophomore pitcher picked up the win for each of the seven games, improving her record to 7-3, recording a 1.15 ERA and adding 51 strikeouts.
Following the current streak, Biola improves to 9-12 on the season. Their first GSAC game is still a few games away when they take on Vanguard University on March 12, which gives the Eagles plenty of time to keep improving.
