Following a disappointing series loss against Azusa Pacific on April 2, Biola faced the Hope International Royals in Fullerton on Saturday for their second conference meeting of the season. Biola swept the series the first time these two teams met, and the story was much the same for this latest doubleheader. Biola walked away with their second entire-series shutout of the season, as they won the first 8-0 and the second 6-0. The Eagles improve to 28-12 overall with a Golden State Athletic Conference record of 12-4.
The scoring started quickly for the Eagles in the first game, as freshman Selina Sherlin hit a solo home run over the left field wall off of the first pitch in the second inning. That home run was her eighth of the season, which puts her in a tie with junior Heather Hall for most on the team. Senior Sarah Stromwall got in on the scoring action in the second inning as well, hitting an RBI single that brought home sophomore Kasey Hormel from second. HIU then got sophomore Kimmy Triolo to ground out to third base to end the inning.
However, Biola came right back at them in the third inning, scoring a total of six runs, set up by three hits, two walks, one hit by pitch and one fielding error. The largest offensive blow of the inning came off of Stromwall’s bat again, as she hit a double that scored three runs. Triolo then reached on a fielding error, allowing Stromwall to cross home plate for the second time in the afternoon. The Royals stopped the bleeding for the rest of the inning, but were not able to mount any offense of their own against the Eagles’ pitching staff.
Senior Reba Depriest started for the Eagles on the mound, and threw a no-hitter in those three innings, allowing no hits and striking out six of the ten batters she faced. Triolo came in to replace Depriest and clinched the shutout, but was not able to get the no-hitter, as she allowed the one Royals hit in the bottom of the fifth. Since HIU was not able to score any runs in the fifth, the run-rule was put into effect and Biola got the victory.
The second game of the afternoon went the full seven innings, and looked like it would be a much closer game. Biola got on the board in the second inning again, after a double from senior Ashley Spadt brought home Hormel. The two teams took turns stranding runners on base for the next few innings, until the sixth, when Stromwall again came up big for the Eagles. She hit a double that brought home Spadt and Hormel to give Biola the 3-0 lead. Junior Iliana Morales then finished off the scoring for the afternoon, hitting a single that brought home Stromwall from second. The Royals could not respond offensively, walking away with the loss.
The Eagles’ next series is against the William Jessup Warriors, who sit second-to-last in the GSAC rankings, but is on a four-game winning streak. The first game of the doubleheader at Freedom Field starting at 2 p.m.
