LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola crushed five home runs--two from
CeCe Luster and two from
Vanessa Coleman including her second grand slam in as many days--to sweep a non-conference doubleheader from Doane College (Neb.) by scores of 7-1 and 10-6 on Thursday afternoon.
The Eagles pick up their fourth-straight win and seventh in their last 10 games to improve to 15-17 on the season while dropping the Tigers to 8-12 overall.
The Biola offense showed no signs of fatigue playing in its third doubleheader in as many days. The Eagles scored 17 runs and pounded out 23 hits on the day including 11 extra-base hits. Biola, which had hit 11 home runs in its first 28 games of the season, have now hit seven over the last four games.
Coleman's game two performance was impressive as the sophomore went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a double, tying a school record with seven RBIs in the game. She matches the record set by Mary Dinsmore in a game against Clarke College (Iowa) on March 3, 2005.
The first game was controlled by CeCe Luster, both in the circle and at the plate. The sophomore continued her strong play in the circle over the last few weeks by allowing just one unearned run on four hits over seven innings, striking out seven and carrying a perfect game into the fifth inning.
She helped out her own cause by going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs in the contest, giving her nine on the season.
The Eagles got off to a quick start, scoring one in the first. Chelsea Limm led off with a single and was bunted over to second by Brooke Madrid. Luster's hard-hit groundout to first moved Limm to third and she scored on a wild pitch to make it 1-0.
In the third, Biola added to its lead as Limm hit a one-out double and Luster followed one out later with a two-run shot to right.
The Eagles tallied two more runs in the fourth as Ashley Spadt led off the frame with a triple and scored on a double by Leslie Larson. Celina Thornton followed with a single to put runners at the corners and Keri Corey drove in Larson with a single to right, giving Biola a 5-0 lead.
In the fifth, the Eagles got back-to-back home runs from Luster and Natalie Parker to go up 7-0.
Luster continued to cruise, not allowing a hit until a one-out single in the fifth. She ran into a bit of trouble after an error in the seventh allowed the inning to continue and the Tigers scored their first run of the game and put two on with no one out. But she worked out of the jam with a pop out, fly out and strike out to end the game.
in the second game, the Eagles fell behind early as Doane scored one in the first and three in the third to take a 4-0 lead.
Coleman got the Eagles on the board in the fourth, leading off the inning with a solo home run to left. She tacked on two more for Biola in the fifth capping a two-out rally with a two-run double. Parker started the rally with a single to left and Spadt hit another double to put two in scoring position with two out for Coleman. Her double made it 4-3.
However, Doane scored again in the top of the sixth, taking advantage of a wild pitch to stretch the lead back to two at 5-3. But the Eagles roared back into the lead with a big sixth inning.
Sam Roberts led off the inning with a pinch-hit single which was followed one out later by back-to-back singles by Limm and Madrid to account for the first run. After Luster was intentionally walked to load the bases, Parker drew a walk to tie the game at 5-5.
A wild pitch brought home the go-ahead run and Spadt was walked to re-load the bases. Coleman then stepped up and blasted her second home run of the game and second grand slam in as many days, clearing the center field fence to make ti 10-5.
Doane would get one final run in the top of the seventh, but Biola would hold on for the 10-6 victory.
Luster ended up getting the win in relief to give her two wins on the day and wins in her last three starts after going going 1-8 in her previous nine decisions.
Biola returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to face No. 9 Azusa Pacific University in a GSAC doubleheader beginning at 4:00 p.m.
