Softball breaks even on Friday doubleheader

The Eagles fell from victory against Holy Names.

Natalie Willis, Editor-in-Chief • February 25, 2022

Softball breaks even on Friday doubleheader

Photo courtesy of Courtesy of Biola Athletics

On Feb. 25, softball started their NorCal roadtrip with a doubleheader against Holy Names University. The women secured a win within the last two innings of game one, 5-2, but were unable to subdue the Holy Names in game two, losing 8-6.

GAME ONE VICTORY

The Eagles got off to a rough start at the top of the first inning, earning zero runs and zero hits. The second and third innings followed this pattern, with no runs scored for either team. In the fourth inning, the Holy Names were able to secure a run effectively taking the lead, 1-0. They added to this lead in the fifth inning with another run, bringing the game to 2-0.

Despite their disadvantage, the Eagles were quick to recover at the top of the sixth led by sophomore catcher Brie Nowak. With redshirt junior pitcher Jennifer Morinishi and sophomore outfielder Maddie Riley on base, Nowak homered to left field, bringing her teammates home and taking the lead, 3-2.

At the top of the seventh inning, the Eagles capitalized on their lead. Earning a fourth run for Biola, redshirt sophomore utility player Alexis Lara reached home off a single to first base by sophomore outfielder Allie Beck. Quickly following, Morinishi doubled to right field, leading to a run from Beck. This marked the Eagles’ last run for the game and the Holy Names remained unable to score at the bottom of the seventh. The Eagles took a 5-2 victory to end the first game of the doubleheader.

GAME TWO DEFEAT

Despite a successful first game, the Eagles were not able to follow through with another victory. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the second inning with six runs by the Holy Names. The Eagles were unable to match up to the Holy Names in the second inning, earning zero runs, but the Holy Names added another run to their score. The fourth and fifth innings remained scoreless for both teams.

At the top of the sixth inning, the Eagles were determined to go out swinging. Lara scored the first run of the inning off of a single to left field by redshirt sophomore infielder Rilee Ruvalcaba. This started an impressive streak for the Eagles. Sophomore infielder scored another run off of a wild pitch and an error by the Holy Names led to three more runs from Beck, Ruvalcaba and redshirt junior outfielder Madison Blossey.

The Eagles were able to score one more time with a run by Riley but were still one point behind the Holy Names, 7-6. Holy Names earned another run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Biola was unable to decrease the deficit at the bottom of the seventh and Holy Names won overall, 8-6.

Softball (6-5 overall, 1-1 conference) will face off against Holy Names University again on Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Stats from today’s game are located on the Biola Athletics website.

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About the Contributor

Natalie Willis, Editor-in-Chief

Natalie Willis is a junior journalism major who loves golden retrievers, Wes Anderson movies and rainy days. Hi! I am from Bakersfield, CA, land of cows and oil rigs. Growing up on a farm with a veterinarian father, I assumed I would follow in his footsteps to pursue a career in agriculture. God had other plans. Reluctantly, I listened but had every intention to switch my major from journalism to pretty much anything else. Half way through my freshman year, I was working on a portfolio project which involved pitching ideas, interviewing sources and telling a story—suddenly, everything clicked into place. I loved what I was doing, who I was meeting and where I thought I could go. God has a way of telling us we are on the right path and I have felt that throughout my college career. Three years ago, if someone told me I would be the editor-in-chief of a student news publication I would have politely advised them to seek counseling. Now, I cannot imagine a life without tight story deadlines and strict adherence to AP style. I am so excited to lead The Chimes this year as we enter into a new era of print media.