IRVINE, Calif. --- Biola Softball got off to a flying start to its 2020 season on Friday morning. The Eagles picked up a run-rule victory over Stanislaus State to begin the new year in the win column.

The Eagles finished the game in the bottom of the fifth inning as a two-run single by pinch-hitter Ari Gonzales turned the team's 6-0 lead into an 8-0 lead and pushed things to the run-rule threshold.

"Defense, pitching, clutch hitting wins championships," said Head Coach Nikki Udria. "We got all of that today. It's a great start to 2020."

Biola was powered by its preseason all-conference duo of Paige Austin and Kayla Neff, with significant contributions coming from all around in a seamless start to its 2020 campaign.

Austin threw the entirety of the five-inning contest to pick up her first win. She struck out 10 batters over those five innings, allowing only two singles and two walks in a dominant effort.

The first of those two base hits, which came in the third inning, was retired immediately by Kayla Neff connecting with shortstop Ruth Munoz to stop an attempted stolen base by the Warriors. 

Neff did it all for the Eagles offensively and defensively, getting that runner gunned down and going 3-for-3 as the cleanup hitter. It was Neff who drove in the game's first run in the very first inning. 

Ruth Munoz singled for Biola's first hit of the year. She advanced to second on a wild pitch, then advanced to third on an aggressive base running decision on a groundout to shortstop. Then, with two outs, Neff hit a ball on a line just over the pitcher's head and into center field to put a one up on the scoreboard for BU.

The Eagles added four more runs in the third inning, powered by a Sicili Brittingham three-run double to score freshman Rilee Ruvalcaba, Kayla Neff and Kylie Velasco.

Good fundamentals set up the other run of that inning. Haley Martinez reached on an infield single, was advanced on a sacrifice bunt and then came around as Velasco drove a hard-hit single through the middle.

Biola added one in the fourth and finished things off in the fifth with Gonzales' pinch-hit effort. All but one of Biola's eight runs in the game came with two outs in the inning.

Munoz was another catalyst for Biola in this one. The junior played shortstop, went 3-for-3, drove in a run and scored twice. Martinez was the only other player to score more than once as the Eagles saw six different players touch home in the win.

Udria's team improves to 1-0 with the win. It was also Stanislaus State's season-opener. They fall to 0-1. The Eagles have their second game of the CUI Kick-Off Classic immediately following. They face another CCAA school in CSU East Bay.

Follow live stats of that contest at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/cui/.