Box Score

ALEXANDRIA, La. --- Tournament time means some long days for softball teams. No one had a longer day on Tuesday though than Reba DePriest. DePriest threw nearly 250 pitches and logged innings during both of Biola's semifinal games. She came up clutch during Tuesday's nightcap, allowing Bellhaven just one run in a complete game 3-1 win.

"That's exactly what we were hoping for," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "We needed to get through another game and just needed the energy to persevere and we did just that."
 
While Biola's offense was held down for most of the game, it was DePriest who had the burden of keeping this elimination game within reach until the hits began to fall. She proved to be more than up for the task, holding the Blazers without a single hit after their one-run first inning.
 
It took the Eagles' offense a little while to find the gaps in the Belhaven defense, as the team was making contact in every at-bat against Julienne Broussard, but only reaching base one time through the first three innings.
 
The fourth inning is when some of the tension lifted because Biola was able to knot the score at one.  It was a leadoff walk by Kasey Hormel that got the action started in that top half of the fourth. She's reached base six times through the first three games of this tournament, and she's only had six official at-bats.
 
Hormel came around to score when Selina Sherlin blasted one to the wall for a triple. It is her first three-bagger of the season.

"Selina coming alive was just what we needed," said Coleman. "Offensively and defensively she was a powerhouse today. It was perfect timing and she was really ignited the team today."
 
After the game-tying run crossed the plate DePriest went out to the circle and continued with the same tenacity and focus she's had all tournament long, clearing the way for her offense to get to work on pushing Biola ahead.
 
That happened in the top of the sixth as Brooke Madrid reached on a leadoff single and then came around to score on a Sherlin RBI double. Sherlin would come home too, as Kimmy Triolo smashed a double into left field that brought Biola's third baseman lumbering to the plate. The play at the play was close, but a textbook slide got the freshman in safely.

"I feel grateful to have this wonderful team behind my back," said Sherlin. "We've got a wonderful pitcher and a wonderful catcher. I love both of them."
 
Pitching with a two-run lead brought DePriest and her catcher, Bria Madrid, to a whole new level as they were simply working their way straight past the Blazers in the sixth and the seventh, setting them down 1-2-3 in both innings.

"Reba threw 239 pitches today, so it was amazing for her to still be that strong even in the seventh inning," said Coleman.
 
Biola improves to 36-19 with the victory and earned a spot in Wednesday's NAIA Tournament Opening Round LSU Alexandria Bracket Championships. Game one begins at 10:00 a.m. PT. Biola needs to beat the Generals twice to win the bracket and advance to the NAIA Softball World Series.