A heartbreaking 1-0 game one loss followed by a 6-2 second game loss closed the Biola Eagles’ softball season a little earlier than they would have liked on April 22-23.
Win or go home
The Eagles came in needing to win both games of the series against the Vanguard University Lions in order to secure a playoff spot. The Lions proved too much to overcome, and Biola bowed out of the year with a 21-30-1 overall record and a 7-17 Golden State Athletic Conference record.
Game one started at noon on April 22, and it ended up as a battle of the defenses, with neither team getting more than three hits on the day. The Eagles had a chance in the first inning, getting a pair of singles from sophomore first baseman Selina Sherlin and senior third baseman Heather Hall. Unfortunately, neither got further than second base, and both were stranded as the Lions’ pitcher worked her way out of the jam.
Vanguard threatened in the bottom of the first inning, getting one of their two total runs on the day. Junior left fielder Taylor Wilson got the hit for the Lions, then was moved to third base by two consecutive sacrifice ground-outs. The Eagles’ senior pitcher, Kendall Maddox, walked the next batter then forced the batter after to pop-out, ending the inning.
The run drought was finally broken in the top of the fifth inning, when Vanguard’s Kristyn Whitley hit a double off freshman pitcher Kaile Chavez, who had taken over the mound for Maddox starting in the second inning. Whitley scored two batters later, putting the Lions up 1-0, which Biola could not come back from in the next two innings.
Game two started at 2 p.m. on April 23, and because of the game one loss, was an essentially meaningless game for the Eagles. Regardless, they played their hardest and made Vanguard work for their win. Maddox took the mound again for the Eagles, and unfortunately had a rough first few innings, giving up a total of six runs in the second and third innings combined. Compared to the first game of the series, the second was offense-heavy, with Biola finishing with six hits and Vanguard posting eight of their own.
After going down 6-0 by the third inning, the Eagles fought back and posted a run in each of the fifth and seventh innings. In the fifth, freshman pinch hitter Alexis Parker got things started with a single up the middle. She was moved to second base by a single from senior second baseman Iliana Morales, then pushed to third by a single from senior catcher Bria Madrid. Hall stepped up to the plate next, and was walked by the Lions’ pitcher, forcing Parker home.
In the seventh, Morales reached first base on a fielder’s choice, then was bumped to third after a double from Madrid. Two batters later, Maddox hit a single to bring Morales home. That moved the score to 6-2, where it stayed.
Goodbye seniors
The Eagles wave goodbye to four seniors: Hall, Madrid, Maddox and Morales. All but Maddox have played for the Eagles all four years, but each of them has come away changed by their experience.
“I've had to lean on [God] in all aspects of my life, especially with softball and He has blessed me with some amazing coaches and teammates here at Biola,” Madrid said. “I cherish the friendships I made because without these girls, my last season wouldn't have been as special as it was.”
This is not the last hurrah for this particular Eagles’ team, as they look forward to a missions trip to Cuba this upcoming summer. After that though, the team and coaches will start thinking about the start of next season.
