The Biola softball team fell hard on Tuesday afternoon against No. 3 Cal Baptist, losing both games in the twin bill match-up at home.
The Eagles fell to 2-4 in GSAC play and 8-7 on the season but still hope to hold onto their No. 20 NAIA ranking.
The Eagles offense struggled in the opening game of the doubleheader, falling 5-0 while failing to come up with hits once runners were on base.
“We missed opportunities,” said sophomore second baseman Lauren Gandy. “We got runners on base with only one out but we just couldn’t score runs.”
The Eagles had their backs against the wall again in the fifth inning, when two Cal Baptist hits put runners on second and third.
Lancer catcher Nicole Shoemaker’s hit was originally ruled an RBI double, until Eagles coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba successfully petitioned that the ball was stuck under the fence. The reversed call brought Lancer Nikki Lowe, who had originally scored on the play, back to third base. Facing runners on second and third with two outs, Eagles’ pitcher Lyndsie Roberts got out of the jam with a fastball that barely caught the outside edge of the plate.
Despite being down only three runs going into the sixth inning, the Eagles were unable to produce the offense to get them on the board, while Cal Baptist hitters were able to successfully hit to the gaps and corners in Biola’s defense.
It didn’t get any better for the Eagles in the sixth, when a high fly ball fell just out the grasp of sophomore center fielder Brittany Bury, allowing a Lancer runner from second base to make it home.
On the next play, a hard line drive to left field barely escaped shortstop Krista Johnson’s glove, bringing in another CBU run.
Roberts was charged with the loss after six innings of work, giving up 10 hits and five earned runs, with five strikeouts and only one walk.
In the second game, the Eagles were on the board early on, largely in part to senior Keena Levert’s hot bat. Levert’s double in the third inning gave the Eagles a 2-0 lead, and another double in the fifth inning again scored two Eagle runs, giving them a 4-3 lead.
The Eagles couldn’t keep up the pace however, and Cal Baptist eventually went on to win 5-4, after scoring a run in each of the final two innings.
Fresh off a six-game swing through Florida, sophomore catcher Leslie Larson said the Eagles were geared up to face a tough team in Cal Baptist.
“We felt confident going into this game after some bonding in Florida, and we were up for this game so it was a tough loss to take,” she said.
The Eagles return to action on the road Saturday against Cal State San Marcos at 2 p.m.
