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homer celebrate
1
Concordia-Ann Arbor CUAA 28-22
6
Winner Biola University BU-SB 28-16
Concordia-Ann Arbor CUAA
28-22
1
Final
6
Biola University BU-SB
28-16
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Concordia-Ann Arbor CUAA 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 5 0
Biola University BU-SB 1 0 0 2 3 0 X 6 8 0

W: Austin, Paige (14-6) L: Reichel (13-11)

Game Recap: Softball |

Neff Bombs Lead BU To Championship

Biola will face Erskine (IL) in the NCCAA Championship on Friday.


BOTETOURT, Va. --- Kayla Neff hit two homeruns, Paige Austin threw another complete game, Ruth Munoz killed it with the glove at third base and Biola is moving on to the championship at the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series.

Biola scored six runs for the fourth-straight game to beat Concordia Ann Arbor 6-1 in the second semifinal game. The Eagles advance to face Erskine (Ill.) in Friday's winner-take-all championship game.

Neff opened the scoring for the Eagles with a solo homerun in the bottom of the first inning. It was her first homerun since the beginning of March against Hawaii Pacific.

The lead held until the top of the fourth inning when Concordia began to find their way on base against Austin. Paige had held the Cardinals to just one single through the first three innings.

Back-to-back one-out hits setup a first-and-third situation for Concordia and forced the Biola defense to step it up. When the runner from first attempted to steal second Neff popped up quickly and fired a throw that was cut-off by Kylie Velasco just behind the pitcher's rubber. Velasco flung it back home and caught the runner from third who was trying to score on the play.

That made two outs in the inning and took away one potential run from the Cardinals. The importance of that play became clear just one batter later when another double cleared the bases and evened the game at one. Austin then got out of the inning with a swinging strikeout. One of 12 she had in the ballgame, which is just two off her career-high.

Biola found a way to answer back immediately in the bottom half of that fourth inning. Hailey Boyett hit her third double of the day to drive in Neff as the game's go-ahead run. Her spot was then scored by a Tori Apodaca RBI two-bagger. It was Apodaca's third RBI in the four games of the tournament.

That would be it for the scoring in the fourth inning, but BU would not have to wait too much longer to extend its lead. Velasco was hit by a pitch and then Areana Ramos found her way on base with a two-out single to set up a prime RBI opportunity for Neff, who was already 2-for-2 in the game.

Neff took advantage of the opportunity, blasting a ball about 30 feet past the fence in left field to drive in three more and give Biola a very comfortable 6-1 lead with two innings left to play.

Austin kept her place in the circle and went out had easy scoreless sixth and seventh innings, recording each of her final four outs via the strikeout.

Neff had a three-hit ballgame, finishing up 3-for-3. It was the NINTH three-hit game of the season for the reigning PacWest Conference Player of the Year. She drove in four of the team's six runs, including scoring three herself. It was the second two-homerun game of her three-year career. The last came against Antelope Valley during her freshman season.

The Eagles improve to 28-16 overall with the win and will face an eager 39-14 Erskine team Friday at 9 a.m. PT. Watch that game live at https://thenccaa.org/tournaments/?id=486&path=network
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