GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
AZUSA, Calif. --- It took a total of 18 innings, a couple of great defensive plays and some outstanding pitching, but Biola finally walked away with a pair of extra inning wins over Azusa Pacific on Wednesday night at the Cougar Softball Complex in Azusa.
The Eagles (16-6, 4-6 GSAC) edged the Cougars (10-14, 2-8) by a score of 4-3 in 10 innings in game one and then downed them again 2-1 in eight innings in the nightcap.
Senior pitcher Tatiana Garcia did not allow a hit in four innings of relief to pick up the win in game one and improve to 3-0 on the season.
Biola got on the board early in the first game as Amerra Kesterson led off with a triple, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Sarah Jensen.
Azusa got a run back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-single by Natalie Mickleson.
But the Eagles plated two in the third to make it 3-1 as Krista Johnson drove in one with a sacrifice fly, followed by an RBI-single by Keena Levert.
However, the Cougars scored a pair in the bottom of the sixth to the game up on some sloppy defense by the Eagles. An error cased Mickelson to score the first run and a sacrifice fly by Tierney Burk tied the score.
After the teams were unable to score in the seventh or eighth, Azusa looked poised to win the game in the ninth with runners at first and second and one out. However, a little flair to right field was short-hopped by Kacie Lyding, who alertly threw the ball to third to start an inning-ending double play as the APU baserunners assumed the ball was caught and stayed put.
In the tenth, Biola's Lindsay Nuckolls singled home Kesterson, who had been placed at second to start the inning, to give the Eagles the lead.
Garcia then retired the Cougars in order in the bottom of the frame to end the game.
Game two was another wild-and-wacky affair. Kesterson again opened the game with a bang, this time blasting a solo home run to dead centerfield to put Biola up 1-0 early.
That run would stand up until the bottom of the ninth inning when, with two out and an 0-2 count, Bethany Weisser drove a single up the middle to score Courtney Cleaves from third and send the game to extra innings again.
In the top of the eighth, Biola's Holly Jackson got things going with a successful sacrifice bunt to move Keena Levert to third. Then, with two outs, Lyding came through with a clutch single to score Levert with the go-ahead run.
In the bottom of the frame, Azusa had runners at second and third with just one out and appeared to tie the game on a sacrifice fly by Tami Carter which scored Erika Navarette. After the catch was made the Eagles ended the inning by catching Justine Barnett off of second base. However, a "fourth out" appeal was made on Navarette at third and the umpires agreed that she left too early and was called out, thus ending the game.
In retrospect, Biola should never have let the game go to extra innings as the Eagles pounded out 11 hits and had a baserunner in each inning. They left a total of 20 runners on base in the doubleheader, 10 in each game.
Biola's Emily Gray pitched a great game, allowing just six hits and one run while striking out five to pick up the win and move to 6-2 on the year.
Biola improves to 3-0 on the season in extra inning contests and has now won its last six games.
Nuckolls finished the day going 4-for-8, but saw her batting average fall to .538 on the season. Kesterson was 3-for-9 with four runs scored and an RBI with Facchini going 3-for-6 on the evening.
The Eagles head into another big GSAC doubleheader on Saturday (Mar. 24) as they head to face No. 4 Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.
