LA MIRADA, Calif. --- The first day of the 2018 Biola Softball season went just about as well as it possibly could have as Head Coach Lorie Coleman's team celebrated the start of the program's 25th season with a pair of loud wins.

The Eagles earned a run-rule win in five innings as they took game one over La Sierra, 10-1. Then they followed that up by posting five runs in the first inning of game two en route to an 11-7 victory.

"I knew we were going to be offensively strong and they went way above what even I anticipated," said Head Coach Lorie Coleman. "Our 1-9 hitters, our best, will be pretty hard to beat. It's a strong, strong lineup."

A strong lineup seems like an understatement after the outstanding first day of play. The team put up 21 runs on 22 hits and is hitting .431 as a team after this doubleheader. Contributions came from all around, but the most notable member of the lineup had to be junior first-baseman Hailey Boyett.

The native San Diegan went 6-for-6 across the doubleheader, reaching base all seven times she went to the dish and hit a three-run homerun that iced the opening game for the Eagles.  

"It feels good to get the wins," said Hailey Boyett. "I feel like everyone did really well and we stayed loose the whole time. I noticed their pitchers were all throwing first-pitch strikes, so I timed her up before my at-bat and that was it."

Boyett had one of two Biola homers in the opener. The other one belonged to freshman Noel Balderston who let one ride over the right-center field fence in just her second collegiate at-bat.

The first game really was all Biola from the very start. Terri Van Dagens set the tone for the whole team by retiring all nine batters she faced, in order, to start the season. She was humming along with a perfect game when Coleman took her out headed into the fourth inning to just so she could get everyone some work.

Kaile Chavez gave up one run on one hit in her one inning of work and then freshman Paige Austin made her collegiate debut with a sparkling top of the fifth inning that ended the game by way of the run-rule. Austin struck out two and retired all three in a row during her one inning, which was really just a foretaste of what was to come from her in game two.

"The freshmen did amazing," said Boyett. "You couldn't tell that they had pregame nerves or anything. They fit in really well."

"If we can stay healthy and get through the first four innings of ball games, we've got Paige who will come in and shut it down. Our season is looking pretty good," said Coleman.

Game two was less one-sided thanks to a big five-run second inning from the visitors, but the Eagles managed to hold them to just two runs in the other six innings to walk away victorious. Biola never trailed in either ball game today.

Austin was the real stabilizing force in the second game. She came in with the bases loaded and two outs in the third inning and gave up one run on a passed ball, but then managed to shut down the LSU team completely over the final four innings.

The freshman used her filthy riseball/off-speed combination to strikeout six in her second outing of the day and allowed just one hit. In her 5.1 total innings on opening day she held the La Sierra hitters to a .063 batting average and joins Van Dagens with a 1-0 record and 0.00 ERA.

"By the time conference play comes I think this team will be really ready. We want to make a difference in this conference. Get ready," said Coleman.

Kayla Neff and freshman catcher Ari Gonzales joined Boyett as the standout hitters in the second game. Neff racked up three hits and crossed the plate three times. Gonzales, in her first career game, went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and also picked up a walk.

Biola scored 10 of its 11 runs in the first three innings of game two, getting eight runs off starter Sarai Camacho. Then the third, fourth and fifth times through the order LSU's relief pitcher was able to settle in just a little bit better.

Still couldn't stop Hailey Boyett, though.

"Hailey was outstanding," said Coleman. "She was strong in the fall, but was just missing things. It was obvious that if she could get on track she was going to do some damage."

Jay Perez also ended the first day of competition without ever being retired. She's hitting 1.000 after going 2-for-2, scoring twice, hitting a triple, driving in a run, stealing a base and picking up a walk. Oh, and all of that came in the first game as she was just a defensive replacement in game two.

Biola will look to take this momentum into their very first NCAA Division II matchups next week. The Eagles host Simon Fraser, the lone NCAA team in Canada, on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at Freedom Field. Game times are scheduled for 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

If you cannot make it, please plan to watch live at portal.stretchinternet.com/biola.