Friday, March 6
Biola splits again on second day at NCFA Classic
Biola split a pair of games on the second day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic, defeating Walsh University (Ohio) 6-2, but falling to No. 9 Olivet Nazarene 5-4 in a 10-inning marathon on Friday afternoon.
The Eagles fell behind early in the first game via an RBI double, but came back in the bottom of the third to take the lead thanks to an RBI single by Keena Levert, and then an RBI double off the bat of Erica Moyer.
Walsh tied the game back up in the top of the fourth with another run scoring double, but once again Biola would respond by bringing four runs around to score in the bottom half of the inning. Krista Johnson drove in a pair of runs with a double and then was driven in by another two-bagger from Lauren Gandy. The Eagles tacked on an insurance run in the next inning, on an RBI groundout by Jillian Albert.
Moyer pitched a solid game and picked up the win, allowing just two runs and striking out four in five innings pitched.
In the second game of the day the Eagles found themselves in quite a battle with No. 9 ranked Olivet Nazarene. Biola struck first this game; Johnson led off with a double and then advanced to third due to a wild pitch and then scored on a ground ball by Lyndsie Roberts. Olivet tied the game in the bottom of the third, but could have broken the game wide open. Roberts escaped mostly unscathed by getting a clutch strikeout to end the inning.
Olivet took the lead in the fourth inning on back to back doubles giving them a 2-1 lead. Biola responded with a run in the top of the fifth to tie the game. Albert singled then stole second, and then swiped third as well. A double by Levert scored Albert and it was all knotted up again 2-2.
Some late scoring made it appear that the Lions would hang on to win but the Eagles were not going down without a fight. Gandy came around to score on a Levert grounder to force the game into extra innings.
Both teams scored in the eighth inning but neither could plate the decisive run. The tenth inning came around and the Eagles threatened with runners at first and third and only one out from a Brittany Bury single, but Olivet turned a double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the tenth, with a runner on third and one down, Olivet hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to bring an end to a long, hard-fought game.
Thursday, March 5
Women split games on the first day of NFCA Classic
In the first game, the Eagles got off to a bit of a sloppy start as a pair of errors opened the door for Notre Dame College to score four runs in the top of the third to take an early 4-0 lead. Biola got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning, via a Notre Dame error and a sacrifice fly by Lyndsie Roberts.
Biola would soon break the game wide open in the fourth when they scored six runs. Jillian Storm got the scoring started with a bases-loaded single, and following her was Krista Johnson who blasted a grand slam. Later that inning Roberts would also put a quarter in the merry-go-round as she smacked a solo home run, putting Biola ahead 7-4.
Notre Dame would add another run in the sixth, but would not threaten much beyond that. Erica Moyer pitched the final 3 1/3 innings to pick up the win in relief.
In the second game of the day the Eagles faced off against William Penn. The Eagles drew first blood by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Johnson got the game going with a lead-off single, then Lauren Gandy followed suit by slapping a single of her own. Gandy then proceeded to swipe second base and then a wild pitch advanced both runners a base, scoring Johnson. Roberts then hit a sacrifice fly that would score Gandy.
William Penn answered back with two runs in the bottom of the second via the home run ball by Kara Atkins and another Eagles error. In the fourth inning William Penn took the lead off yet another Biola error and an RBI single.
Biola took back the lead in the top of the sixth inning with three runs. Keena Levert led off the frame with a single followed one out later by a single off the bat of Brittany Bury. Catcher Sara Smith then drove both runners in with a double to tie the game. She would eventually score on a single by Kacie Lyding to take the lead back.
William Penn came storming back again in their next at bat scoring two runs and taking the lead 6-5. They would retire the Eagles the next inning to hold onto the win as the Eagles cannot hold on in the late innings and lose by a score of 6-5.
