GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. — Biola had put up a valiant fight against No. 2 California Baptist University on Saturday afternoon, but dropped a pair of GSAC games, falling 10-3 in the opener and 3-0 in the nightcap at Freedom Field in La Mirada.
The Eagles, who entered the game ranked No. 19 in the NAIA rankings, drop to 6-10 on the season and 0-2 in GSAC play on the heels of their sixth-straight loss. The Lancers improve to 22-2 overall and 4-0 in conference action.
Biola played well in the opener coming back from an early two-run deficit to take a 3-2 lead after the first inning. The Eagles took advantage of some uncharacteristically sloppy play by the Lancers, who committed two errors and walked two in the inning. Senior Jacqie Hudson and sophomore Kacie Lyding drew bases-loaded walks for the first two runs and Krista Johnson scored on an error.
The Lancers drew even at 3-3 as Karina Slauenwhite hit a clutch two-out single to score Nikki Lowe in the top of the third.
Cal Baptist then broke the game open with four runs in the fourth with the big blowing coming on a two-RBI single by Erin Moore.
The Lancers added three more runs in the top of the sixth to cap the scoring as Caty Reeves hit a pinch-hit, RBI single, followed by another pinch-hit single by Jessica Foerester to drive in two more.
After a rough start, Cal Baptist's two-time NAIA All-American pitcher Amy Thomas settled down, allowing just five hits the rest of the way and working out of a big jam in the third. Johnson opened the inning with a single to right, then Hudson followed with a bunt single to put runners at first and second. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, Thomas got Lyding to ground out for the second out of the inning, then–after a walk to Erica Moyer loaded the bases–got Brittany Bury to ground back to the circle to end the threat.
Emily Gray suffered the loss for the Eagles, falling to 3-4 while Thomas improves to 12-1.
In game two, it looked like Biola would get back on top early as they loaded the bases with two outs in the second on three straight singles. However, CBU's Melanie Ahumada worked out of the jam by getting Moyer to strike out.
Biola would have just two more batters reach base in the game as Ahumada settled in. On the flip side, Moyer was pitching strong to open the game as she didn't allow a hit through the first four innings. The first hit came to lead off the fifth as Nicole Shoemaker doubled to right center. She was then sacrificed to third by Slauenwhite and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Allison Dennis.
The Lancers added two more in the sixth as Chantal Millard tripled home a run, then scored on a squeeze bunt by Lowe.
Moyer suffered the loss to drop to 1-3 despite allowing just three runs on as many hits to one of the top hitting teams in the country.
Biola remains at home for its next matchup against, hosting Vanguard University in a GSAC doubleheader at Freedom Field on Tuesday (Mar. 11) at 2:00 p.m.
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