Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 REDDING, Calif. --- Big offense and strong pitching is generally a recipe for success, and it held true on Friday as Biola Softball got three wins on day one of the Simpson Tournament. Two of No. 14 Biola's wins came over opponents who are also ranked inside the NAIA Top-25 Coaches' Poll.
 
The Eagles earned a 5-4 victory in extra-innings over No. 17 Oregon Tech, an 8-2 win over Northwest Christian (Ore.) and a 5-3 victory over No. 21 College of Idaho.
 
GAME 1:
 
This first game of the day was definitely the most nerve-racking for the now 7-0 Eagles, as the two teams had to go to extra-innings and play with international tiebreaker rules to determine a winner. The big difference in an international tiebreak scenario is that each team starts its at bats in the extra innings with a runner on second base.
 
Working up to those extra-innings was a seven-inning affair that included reciprocal scoring throughout by these two closely matched foes.
 
Biola began the scoring in the second inning when a Kasey Hormel single reached the outfield fence after going through the Oregon Tech outfielder's legs. That hit and subsequent error allowed Hormel to reach second and three runs to score.
 
That three-run advantage was just a fleeting thing as the Hustlin' Owls posted a two-spot off game one starter Reba DePriest in the next half-inning to draw it back to a one-run game.
 
Things remained quiet over the next few innings until Heather Hall hit her first homerun of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning to get the Eagles back up by two.
 
"Heather actually hit two over the fence in this one," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "But the first one did not count, because their fielder robbed it and actually knocked the fence over."
 
So, without that added run from Hall's earlier deep shot, the Eagles' were left more at risk of a Hustlin' Owls comeback.
 
That's exactly what happened as a two-run shot by Alyssa Davis in the top of the sixth tied the game and ultimately sent us into the tiebreak.
 
Kimmy Triolo and the Biola defense shined throughout the tiebreak scenario, shutting out Oregon Tech over the two extra-innings and allowing Selina Sherlin the opportunity to come to the plate with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and attempt to win the game and get her first RBI of the day.
 
Sherlin converted with a single that scored Bria Madrid and won the game for Biola, 5-4.
 
"The key to the whole thing is when Kimmy came in," said Coleman. "She was lights-out and our defense was fantastic, which carried us through the tiebreak."
 
Triolo earned her first win of the season with 3.2 one-hit innings.
 
GAME 2:
 
The Eagles' matchup with Northwest Christian saw Biola again jump out to a very quick lead. Playing as the visiting team in this one the Eagles posted two runs in the top of the first inning when a Sherlin single kept the good vibes going for the freshman, scoring Hall and Bria Madrid after an adventurous half-inning for NWC's starter, Jill Suratt.
 
Kendall Maddox took the circle for BU in game two and went 3.2 innings before getting into any sort of trouble. Maddox and the Eagles held onto their two-run advantage into that fourth inning, when it began to crumble before their eyes.
 
Maddox got one out before giving up back-to-back hits and throwing a wild pitch. The wild pitch got her replaced by Triolo, who walked three straight batters, forcing Coleman to bring DePriest back for more action after Northwest Christian had the game tied at two.
 
The senior wiggled out of the jam by getting the final outs of the inning and went on to hurl three more innings and finish the game for the Eagles. She ended with 3.1 innings pitched, one hit allowed and seven strikeouts, bringing her to 16 through the first two games.
 
With DePriest dominating the Eagles' offense went to work and finished the task of getting the win, scoring seven runs over the final few innings to get the 8-2 win.
 
Biola got production from up-and-down its lineup, seeing the late RBI come from Ashley Spadt, Iliana Morales and Kasey Hormel.
 
"Everybody is having their moment on this trip," said Coleman. "We are starting to balance out all the way through the lineup so the weight of scoring runs is not just on a few hitters."
 
After the influx of runs in the fifth and seventh innings, DePriest was rewarded for her effort with her third win of the season.
 
GAME 3:
 
Third game of the day and third time Biola scored first.
 
Terri Van Dagens got the start for Biola and kept the 'Yotes' bats silent through the first two innings, setting them down in order in each half inning.
 
"Terri did an excellent job of holding down such a strong hitting team, especially for a freshman," said Coleman.
 
The Eagles' bats got going in the bottom of the second inning as a hit-by-pitch and error by the 'Yotes brought Triolo and Hormel home and got Biola a 2-0 advantage.
 
Van Dagens continued the dominance in the third inning, striking out the side before College of Idaho started making noise in the fourth.
 
A leadoff double, a walk and an error allowed the 'Yotes to pick up two runs to tie the game, knock Van Dagens out of the game and bring DePriest in for her third appearance of the day. She got the final two outs of the inning and ended up going 3.2 innings to finish off the game.
 
DePriest only had to deal with the tie game for the remainder of that top of the fourth inning, as the Eagles offense accomplished the goal of pushing to five runs in the bottom half.
 
A Sherlin two-run homerun was the big blow, as she followed a Hall RBI double with a very, very deep bomb that got Biola a 5-2 lead.
 
"The real moment of the game was that homerun by Selina," said Coleman. "That was a momentum change to what was a close game. It carried us through the rest of the game."
 
The 'Yotes picked up one more run through the rest of the game, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit as Biola secured its seventh win of the season.
 
They are back in action tomorrow for three more contests. Play begins at 9:00 a.m.