The Biola softball team settled for a split in a doubleheader game on Thursday March 21 against Hope International University on Freedom Field to end their losing streak and completed a doubleheader sweep against Hamline University on Wednesday March 27.

The Eagles cruised to a 9-1 win over Hamline in the opening game and a 7-6 walk-off to end the doubleheader. 
On Wednesday the Eagles faced Hamline where Enriquez, their only pitcher, had an outstanding afternoon, allowing only one run in three hits and retiring 15 batters.

Hamline struck first in this game with a run in the first inning. Biola did not respond until the fourth inning. Roberts started with a double and scored on a double by sophomore Ashley Spadt to tie the game at one. Junior Celina Thornton then drove in a pair of runs in the third inning.

In the fifth inning, Hall added a two-run home run to make the score 5-1. The Eagles did not end there, however, and capped the scoring with four more runs in the sixth inning to take away the 9-1 win.

“This whole entire week we've been working on hitting because our defense is our number one thing,” Hall said. “So we just went into this game really aggressive, and wanted to get on them [Hamline] really quickly. So getting these hits and scoring these runs definitely gave us the energy to go into the second game and take a win out of it.”

Although Hamline came out strong with two runs in the second game, the Eagles managed to control them defensively and responded well with two runs of their own. With back-to-back RBI singles, Bria Madrid and Spadt managed to lead by the end of the first.

Biola found themselves leading by two until the top of the sixth when Hamline’s Cecily Abbadesa hit a three-run homerun to give the Pipers a 6-5 lead. Once again, the Eagles managed to hold them off defensively at the end of the seventh. Sophomore Brooke Madrid brought Roberts home for the winning run.

Eagles fight to split against Hope

In their first game against Hope, the Eagles seemed to have control with base runners on in every inning and sophomore Sarah Enriquez’s perfect game throughout the first 6 innings. In the fourth, Biola took a 1-0 lead but was unable to keep momentum to pull away. A single to left by Hope’s Adi Lopez in the seventh inning put the teams to a 1-1 tie.

Both teams remained tied until the 10th, when Hope’s Adi Lopez singled a runner home and a two-run double by Stephanie Froussine gave the Royals a 5-2 lead to win the game.

In the second game, Hope continued their dominance and led the Eagles 1-0 in the second inning. Biola quickly answered back in the bottom of the inning with senior Sam Robert’s two-run home run. From there, the Eagles would not lose their lead.

Over the next three innings, Biola scored three more runs. Freshman Heather Hall drove senior Chelsea Limm home in the third and managed to end the inning with a 4-1 lead. Biola tacked on their last run in the fifth on a triple by freshman Bria Madrid that ended the game with a 5-1 win. 

“When we were tied in the Hope International game, no one had confidence in themselves and we totally changed that around and started playing for each other,” Hall said. “I think we're really confident going into our next games, coming off these wins and scoring all these runs; knowing that we can actually do the job that we need to do.”

With their third straight win, the Eagles now have an overall record of 15-20 and improve their Golden State Athletic Conference record to 4-4.