LA MIRADA, Calif. --- One of the biggest statement wins of the season in Golden State Athletic Confernce Softball came before most people were out of bed on this stormy Saturday morning in La Mirada.
 
Biola Softball, who came into the day last in the GSAC standings, worked a pair of 5-4 victories over Arizona Christian, who came into the day first in the GSAC standings, in some 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. softball games.
 
The two victories pushed Biola up into sixth in the conference standings and helped them pull within just a half-game of Hope International and Vanguard for fourth place in the GSAC table.
 
It was a brilliant morning of softball on both sides as the two teams got some solid pitching, great fielding and some good, timely hitting. Biola used three long balls to earn a 5-4 regulation win in game one before needing to go to extra innings in order to secure the win in game two with a walk-off hit by Kasey Hormel.
 
"It does feel really good. We worked really hard on our strategy for this game," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "We just kept putting in people who were fresh, whether it was pitching or up to bat, we just wanted to keep it moving."
 
The offense got started immediately in the opener, as neither team's bats were still asleep. Arizona Christian got the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the first inning, but Kaile Chavez was able to wiggle out of the inning with only one run scored.
 
The Eagles were fantastic at answering back immediately during this day, which is exactly what they did in the bottom of the first. Heather Hall took a ball deep over the left-field fence to give Biola a 2-1 lead.
 
ACU flexed its muscles once again in the top of the second with a trio of runs to pull ahead 4-2. Biola would chip away for one more in their part of the second when Areana Ramos blasted a ball to straightaway center field.
 
After that scoring both teams were quiet from the third through the fifth innings until ACU threatened for more with the bases loaded and just one out in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back groundballs to the human vacuum, Andi Hormel, ended the threat and gave Biola a chance to pull ahead in the bottom half.
 
That is exactly what the Eagles did as a leadoff single from Selina Sherlin was cashed in by a two-run homerun from the now-pitcher Kimmy Triolo. It was Triolo's first homerun of the year and put her in position to get the victory in the circle.
 
She went out in the top of the seventh and started the inning off with a fly out to right field. That was followed with a walk and then strike em' out-throw em' out play that sealed the game one win.
 
The roles reversed during game one as the Eagles made the most of its base runners by only stranding five of its 11 base runners in the game. Meanwhile, ACU stranded 11 of its 15.
 
Terri Van Dagens got the start in the second game of the doubleheader and had her longest outing since March 11 as she lasted 3.2 innings against the powerful ACU offense.
 
She had just two hits against her, but she walked four batters, which set things up for a three-run third inning for the Firestorm. This put ACU up 3-1 as Biola's only scoring to that point was a solo shot from Triolo in the second inning.
 
Triolo was huge all day long as she went 3-for-6 with a walk, three RBI and two homeruns. She also earned the pitching win in both ballgames.
 
"It was such a team effort with so many people involved, but Kimmy was huge today," said Coleman. "Going after their best hitter, Beasley was all her idea. We were going to pitch around her but she challenged her and did it. I think her performance was the highlight of the day."
 
Once again the Eagles answered back immediately with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. It was again two-out scoring that got the job done as Hormel drove a ball to right field to double home Missy Poti and Areana Ramos to tie the game at three.
 
Kaile Chavez pitched a scoreless fifth after getting the Eagles out of the inning with the last out in the fourth. Then she handed the ball to Triolo who shut ACU out in the sixth and seventh to force the game into extra innings.
 
Both teams scored in the one extra inning as ACU got a two-out single to score the gift runner that is placed on second base due to the NCAA tiebreaker rule. Triolo ended the eighth by inducing a groundout from the Firestorm's top hitter, Abby Beasley.
 
ACU's Destinee Spencer could retire just a single Eagle batter in the bottom of the eighth inning as Biola went out and won the game. Sherlin sacrificed to move Maranda Galindo (gift runner/tying run) to third base with one out.
 
Triolo walked and then Ramos singled early in her at-bat to drive Galindo home and push Triolo up a base as Kasey Hormel strolled into the box. The junior outfielder crushed a ball into left-center to win the game and complete the very important sweep.
 
"Now we've definitely got some upward momentum," said Coleman. "I think now we realize we can do this and that we have everything necessary to get it done."
Biola improves to 20-22-1 and 6-9 in conference with the two victories. The No. 18 Firestorm fall to 28-12 and 12-6 in GSAC play. It was a wonderful way for the Eagles to end their streak of 16 consecutive home games and they now hit the road to a Northern California road trip against Menlo and William Jessup.