LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola Softball began its season-ending four-game homestand on Friday night as it hosted its biggest rival, the Azusa Pacific Cougars. Both teams had one dominant game and one dominant pitching performance in working a doubleheader split.

The Cougars claimed game one, 7-2, with the Eagles clinching the nightcap, 6-2. APU had three separate big innings in game one to put up seven runs in support of Kat Ung, who limited Biola to just two runs on four hits while recording her 15th complete game of the season.

Azusa Pacific scored twice in the third to open the scoring against the Eagles' starter, Terri Van Dagens. The Eagles answered back immediately as they cashed in on a Kylie Velasco leadoff double to scrape out one run in their half of the third.

The score remained at 2-1 until APU began to really see the ball well in the late innings. Van Dagens allowed two runs on two hits in the fifth, which turned out to be her last inning of work. Paula Damas inherited a 4-1 game in the sixth and was tagged for three runs to allow APU to get to its final resting total of seven game one runs.

The Eagles sent their power hitters to the plate to attempt a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. It began well as Areana Ramos led off by blasting one over the fence in right-center for her ninth big fly of the season.

Biola would manage one more hit in the inning, but that was it as the game came to a rest in the favor of APU, allowing the Cougars to take a 3-0 lead in the season series.

The Eagles did not let the disappointing first game affect them one bit in the second contest, coming out with eight hits to put up a six-spot in the nightcap. It was great to see the Biola bats finally break through against an APU pitching staff that had limited Head Coach Lorie Coleman's team to just three runs in the first three games between these two sides this year.

It was actually Azusa Pacific who opened the scoring, once again putting up two runs in the top of the third inning off Biola's game two starter, Paige Austin. That score line held until the fifth inning, when Biola began to get to reliever Megan Mejia.

Mejia had just entered the game in place of Racqual Espinoza, who had held the Eagles scoreless through four frames. Mejia walked the first batter she faces, Ari Gonzales, and then hit a batter to immediately have a no out, two on situation for BU.

An Andi Hormel groundout advanced both runners to scoring position, and then Mejia induced a groundout right back to her and had Biola back on the ropes again with two outs and still the same two on. That's when Noel Balderston hit a line drive that bounced off of Mejia and deadened next to the circle to allow both runners to score and tie the game.

Still with two outs, Mejia stayed in the game and hit the next batter, Kayla Neff, before a Selina Sherlin single drove in two more runs to make it 4-2.

After that APU re-inserted Espinoza, who managed to get the final out without any more damage.

Unfortunately for the Cougars, Austin was locked in on the other side and would not need any more damage to be done in order to get the win. She allowed just two hits and one walk over the course of the final four innings to finish her complete game and hold the Cougars to just those two early runs.

Biola did manage two more insurance runs in their half of the sixth with a pair of RBI singles from freshmen Balderston and Velasco to get the game to its final score.

Austin set the Cougars down in order in the top of the seventh to clinch the split for BU. She only struck out one batter on Friday, but earned her 15th win of the year primarily by inducing groundouts and weak contact. Sixteen of the 21 outs she recorded came on balls hit on the ground.

Balderston hit second in the lineup in a spot start for the Eagles and ended up going 3-for-3 in the second game, driving in three and scoring another in a great outing by the right fielder.

Today's results improved Biola to 33-17 (16-14 PacWest) and guaranteed Biola would finish at least .500 in its first season of PacWest Conference play. The Cougars drop to 20-25 (13-17 PacWest).

The Eagles play their final doubleheader of the season on Saturday when they host Concordia University Irvine (42-12, 24-6 PacWest) at noon. It is also Senior Day for Terri Van Dagens and Selina Sherlin, with ceremonies scheduled for before the first pitch at around 11:40 a.m.

Biola has the opportunity to play spoiler tomorrow as CUI has its sights set on a PacWest Championship. A sweep would guarantee the visiting Eagles at least a share of the PacWest crown. One or two Biola wins would put that in jeopardy with three other teams in striking distance of the title.