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Scoreboard

Ruth Munoz cheering
George Rodriguez
3
Concordia Portland CU 11-10
4
Winner Biola University BU-SB 9-2
Concordia Portland CU
11-10
3
Final
4
Biola University BU-SB
9-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Concordia Portland CU 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 3 5 2
Biola University BU-SB 1 0 2 1 0 0 X 4 7 5

W: Morinishi, Jennifer (1-1) L: Gillum,Kate (3-4)

Game Recap: Softball |

That'll Do

Biola gets a pair of unconventional runs, but they count all the same in a one-run win.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Things still were not coming easily for Biola during game two of its doubleheader with Concordia Portland, but the big difference in this one was some early scoring providing a bit of relief of pressure.

The Eagles changed up the offensive approach to be slightly less aggressive in game two than they were in game number one, where they made 13 first-pitch outs. This shift allowed Biola to get the CU Portland starter up in pitches thrown and take advantage of some missed spots.

The Eagles scored once in the first inning, twice in the third and again in the fourth to build a 4-1 lead that mirrored the one that CU Portland brought into the seventh inning during the doubleheader opener. 

Just as Biola managed to do in their seventh inning in game one, the Cavaliers worked some quick offense to turn up the pressure. A lead-off walk was followed by a hard-hit homerun to turn the 4-1 lead to a 4-3 lead with CU still having three-outs to make up the difference.

Jennifer Morinishi, who was brought in to relieve Paula Damas in the second inning, managed a fly out to shallow right field, a popup to shortstop and a swinging strikeout to end the game and send Biola home with a sweep thanks to the 4-3 victory. 

Morinishi picked up her first pitching victory of the season in what was her longest outing of the 2020 campaign. After trotting to the circle from her starting center field spot in the second inning, the sophomore managed 5.1 innings pitched and only gave up four hits while limiting the Cavs to three runs.

She, and the defense behind her, were adept at working out of jams throughout the contest. The Cavaliers managed 16 base runners throughout the game, spread between five hits, five walks, two hit-by-pitches and a season-worst five Biola errors. Thanks to the sidestepping of Morinishi and Neff as the pitching battery, Concordia Portland stranded 12 runners over the course of the contest.

Biola made more use of its opportunities to score, stranding just five base runners on the day. But, still, the Eagles struggled to get runners on consistently to be able to push them home to score.

Thankfully, the four runs that did cross home plate were enough to get the job done in this one.

Biola scored an adventurous game-opening run in the bottom half of the first inning. After Ruth Munoz got plunked for the second time of the day, Morinishi hit a bloop single to right field to get two runners on.

Things didn't end there, though as the right fielder hit the ball with the laces at the tip of their glove and saw it kick all the way to the wall of the first-base bullpen. That allowed the runners to advance to second and third, but we still were not done. The throw in from right field was dropped by the first baseman, who then lost the ball at their own feet and allowed Munoz to score all the way from first base and Morinishi to reach third.
 
That would be all for BU in the first as the 3-4-5 hitters came up empty against new starting pitcher Kate Gillum.

Neither team scored in the second inning, but Biola get things reignited in the third as Munoz and Morinishi traded back-to-back doubles to extend to a 2-1 lead. Then, a Kylie Velasco sac fly drove in Morinishi to make it 3-1.
 
Biola was not done yet, though, tacking on a fourth run on another unusual play in the bottom half of the fourth inning. That run would prove to be the game-winning run after the big fly from CU in the top of the seventh cut it down to a one-run ballgame.

That game-winning run also happened with two outs in the inning, but only for a fraction of a second. The run was scored just as the inning came to an end with Loren Meza touching home plate a tenth of a second before Ruth Munoz was tagged out at second attempting to stretch a single into a double. 

It was a bang-bang play at home plate, which Biola should consider itself fortunate went its way. If you take a look at the highlight you'd notice no umpire was checking home plate to be sure Meza touched it before Munoz was tagged out.
 
After the Eagles gave her the three-run lead, Morinishi allowed just two more hits the remainder of the game, a sixth-inning single and the HR in the seventh. 
 
Biola finished the night cap with seven hits, including two apiece from Munoz, Morinishi and Ruvalcaba. The Eagles' improved to 9-2 on the season with the pair of victories, which is the best 11-game record to start a season since the identical start to the 2014 season. 

Up next for the team is a 12-game Hawaiian road trip beginning against Hawaii Hilo (7-7, 2-0 PacWest) on Monday and Tuesday.
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