Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Some days are just better than others. Tuesday was definitely one of those days for Biola Softball as the Eagles took two wins over bitter Golden State Athletic Conference rival, Vanguard.
 
Biola's lineup was able to find ways on base against every pitcher Beth Renkoski trotted out to the circle on Tuesday as the team combined for 21 hits and 10 runs in 5-3, 5-2 victories.
 
"Today truly was a team effort of pitching, defense and clutch hitting," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "I believe we have finally returned to the Biola Softball way of playing."
 
 The Eagles played their game from start to finish on Tuesday as the combined efforts of Kendall Maddox, Kaile Chavez and Kimmy Triolo held the visiting Lions to just 10 hits and five runs as they never really seemed to threaten.
 
Maddox started both games for the Eagles and allowed one run and two hits during her three innings of work on the day. She earned the win in the first game by being the more effective of the Eagles' first two pitchers in the game.

Triolo earned a save with three scoreless innings in game one and also put an exclamation point on game two with a strong four innings of two-run ball.
 
Vanguard opened the scoring in game one with an RBI double in the top of the second inning. That lead was erased in the bottom half of the next inning as a Triolo RBI single and Iliana Morales sacrifice fly brok the Eagles open.
 
The scoring in the third inning was a welcomed sight as Biola squandered runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings.
 
The biggest inning of that first game was the fourth inning as both teams managed to push multiple runs across. Vanguard scored two two-out runs on an infield single that also included one of the many great fielding plays on the day for BU. Andi Hormel dove to her left to stop a hard-hit ground ball from reaching the outfield, but the ball got stuck in her glove and allowed Vanguard to take a 3-2 lead.
 
That lead would not last long at all as the Eagles came storming back with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to knock Vanguard's starter out of the game and get the game to its final score of 5-3.
 
It was the Eagles' shortstop, Hormel, who led off that explosive fourth inning with a double on the second pitch she saw. The Eagles had three consecutive batters reach base to lead off the inning as Maranda Galindo and Bria Madrid also got on. All three would come around to score via RBI single from Kendall Maddox and Kasey Hormel.
 
Maddox came up with a few clutch hits on the day. She was 1-for-3 with that fourth-inning 2-RBI single in game one and managed a 1-for-3, 1 RBI performance in the second game as well.
 
"Our seniors showed great leadership in their performance defensively and offensively," said Coleman. "It was a great day to be an Eagle."
 
That day was made great because the Eagles had the tenacity to follow up their strong performance in game one with a winning effort in the second game as well.
 
Pitching and defense stood out even more in a quicker game that saw fantastic play from the Eagles' infield spearheaded by efforts from Hormel at short and Iliana Morales at second base.

The Eagles managed to turn three double plays on the afternoon, including inning-ending double plays in each of the final two innings of game two. Biola did not commit a single error in either contest and now has five consecutive games with one or fewer errors as its defense continues to improve.
 
Biola never trailed in the second game. It took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, extended it by one in the third and then ended the fourth with a commanding 4-2 lead after allowing two to the Lions in the top half.
 
Heather Hall made full use of her insertion into the lineup during the second contest by going 3-for-3 with an RBI and run scored. Bria Madrid was 1-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, which was just another example of the strong play out of the Eagles' seniors.
 
The two victories over a Vanguard team that came into the day with wins in its last five ballgames are huge for this Biola softball team's confidence, and for its place in the GSAC standings. The Eagles now move into striking distance of some more teams in the conference table as the season rolls along. The Eagles improved to 15-17-1 (3-8 GSAC) while Vanguard fell to 21-16 (5-7 GSAC).
 
Biola is back in some non-conference action on Wednesday afternoon for a 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. home doubleheader with Hamline (Minn.).