GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE

LA MIRADA, Calif. — Freshman Lyndsie Roberts tossed a total of 9-2/3 scoreless innings including a four-hit complete-game shutout in the second game as Biola split a GSAC doubleheader with Vanguard University Tuesday at Freedom Field in La Mirada.

The Lions (22-6 overall, 2-2 GSAC) took the first game by a 4-0 count while the Eagles (7-11 overall, 1-3 GSAC) battled back for a 1-0 victory in the second game.

Roberts, who recently missed three weeks due to an injury, pitched very well for Biola allowing just four hits and no runs in her 9-2/3 innings on the day. The freshman lefty tossed the final 2-2/3 innings of game one, giving up two walks but not allowing a hit. She picked up right where she left off in the second game, retiring the first eight batters and striking out three to pick up her third win of the year.

While Roberts was shutting down the Lions from the circle, another freshman Sara Smith was providing a bulk of the Eagles' offense. Smith was 4-for-5 and reached base in five of the six plate  appearances she had on the day. In addition, the rookie catcher gunned down three Vanguard baserunners–catching two runners stealing and picking off another at first.

Despite struggling offensively throughout the day, the Eagles were able to break through for the lone run of game two in the bottom of the fourth. Erica Moyer drew a walk to start the inning, stole second and was sacrificed to third by Kacie Lyding. Erin DaSilva then got down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to plate Moyer and give Biola the lead.

Vanguard had numerous chances to tie the game as the Lions had at least one baserunner each inning from the third inning on. But Roberts and the Eagles stepped up the defense to keep them off the board. In the fifth, Christina Hart drew a leadoff walk and was sacrificed to second, but was called out for leaving early while attempting to move up on a flyout.

Vanguard then had a runner thrown out at the plate in each of the final two innings. In the sixth, April Glenn was hit by a pitch with one out,  followed by a single by Jennifer Olvera. Angela St. Croix followed with a ground ball to short where Krista Johnson stepped on second but her throw was wide to first. Glenn then tried to take advantage of the slow-developing play to score all the way from second, but was thrown out at home by Sarah Jensen.

In the seventh, the Lions' Jennifer Bergh led off with a single to right and was sacrificed into scoring position by Patricia Olvera. Pinch hitter Stephanie Leisenring followed with a walk and both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch the next at bat. Vanguard's next batter was pinch hitter Amanda Young hit a grounder to short but Johnson gunned Bergh at the plate with a strong throw.

Roberts then wrapped up the game by striking out Katie Daniels on a 3-2 pitch to wrap up the game.

Game one was dominated by another strong pitching performance as Jennifer Olvera threw a six-hit shutout, striking out an incredible 15 batters. She opened the game by striking out nine of the first 11 batters including seven in a row.

Offensively, Vanguard did all its damage in the second inning and got three of its four runs on one swing of the bat. After a single and a one-out walk, Katie Daniels cranked a three-run homer to left field–her first of the year–to make it 3-0. Sarah Howe followed with a single and scored on an infield groundout to make it 4-0.

Conversely, it was the Eagles who were unable to come up with the clutch hit with runners on as they also had a baserunner in each inning after the second. Their best chance to score came in the fifth when Brittany Bury hit a one-out double followed by a single to left by Lauren Gandy. After Gandy stole second to put runners at second and third with just one out, Olvera was able to strikeout Moyer and got Jensen to pop out to end the threat.

Biola travels to Concordia for a GSAC doubleheader against the other Eagles on Saturday (Mar. 15) at Noon.