Biola has been dominating on the diamond lately. Last weekend, the baseball team completed a four-game sweep at home. On Friday, the softball team won the first two games of a four-game series against the Academy of Art Urban Knights.
They hoped to complete the sweep on Saturday with another doubleheader. However, after a rain delay, game one was pushed back to 7 p.m. and game two was pushed to Sunday for an early 9 a.m. affair. Fortunately, this did not hinder the team’s performance, as they took care of business by winning game one 7-3 and game two 5-2.
GAME ONE: THE RAINBOW AFTER THE STORM
Saturday, Feb. 22 was a rainy day at Biola University. The girls were forced to wait out their 12 p.m. scheduled start until 7 p.m. The delay did not seem to bother them. The Eagles immediately took a lead in the first inning after an RBI bunt base hit by junior second baseman Kylie Velasco. Biola tacked on four more runs in the third, which gave them a 5-0 cushion.
In the fifth, Velasco seemingly decided she was done playing small ball and smashed a two-run home run to extend the lead to 7-0. The Urban Knights did not quit, scoring three runs in the final inning, but ultimately Biola held on for the 7-3 win.
“I’m so proud of how we came out as a team ready to play after battling the rain all day,” said junior outfielder Tori Apodaca. “The season is still super young, but it’s been a lot of fun seeing how we have been really having team wins. We are executing the little things like moving runners, bunting, stealing bases and then having those timely hits… I think this will make us have a big impact in the PacWest this season.”
GAME TWO: RISE AND SHINE
Game two was rescheduled for 9 a.m. on Sunday. The Eagles were likely tired, given the early start time following the night game, but their play said otherwise.
Junior right-handed pitcher Paige Austin got the ball once again and showed why she has emerged as the team’s ace. Austin went six innings and only allowed two runs on four hits while striking out an astounding nine batters. The offensive load was carried by sophomore outfielder/pitcher Jennifer Morinishi, who has been swinging an extremely hot bat of late. Morinishi went 3-3 on the day while driving in two runs and scoring two runs. Senior catcher Kayla Neff also added two hits and an RBI of her own. Morinishi was not done contributing, as she came in to pitch and earned her second save of the year as the Eagles won the game 5-2. With the victory, Austin improved her pitching record to 4-1.
WHAT’S NEXT?
The Eagles (7-2 overall, 4-0 PacWest) will get a few days off before hosting the Concordia Portland Cavaliers (9-6 overall) next Saturday, Feb. 29 at home for a doubleheader. Game one will begin at 9:30 a.m. and game two is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
