KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii --- It took three extra innings and all three pitchers, but in the end Biola Softball worked its way to a well-earned 2-1 victory over Hawaii Hilo in game two of day one of the teams' four-game series.
 
With both teams spotted a runner on second base in the 10^th inning, Biola managed to take advantage and cash in, while Paige Austin and the Biola infield made it so UHH could not.
 
Tori Apodaca came up with the game-winning hit when she hit a looping ball off the end of the bat that found grass in shallow right field to bring Kayla Neff home from second base after the ball kicked around a bit into foul territory.
 
The Eagles had infield popouts during their first two chances in the inning, bringing down the odds of scoring that comped runner. The odds didn't matter much to Apodaca, though, who came up with the clutch hit, which was her fourth hit of the day.
 
Pitching her fourth inning in relief, Austin had to do a little extra acrobatics because Hilo managed to successfully sacrifice their free runner over to third base on the first batter of the inning.
 
Despite having over 160 pitches on her arm, Austin buckled down and managed to induce a pop up right to Kiana Meriales and then a groundout to Ruth Munoz to end the game in Biola's favor.
 
The two teams combined to strand 24 runners on base in this second game, none more important than Hilo leaving Darian Obara on third base for their 14^th stranded runner in the game.
 
One aspect that helped both pitching staffs work their way out of jams is the limited number of walks in the game. In fact, Biola did not reach via a free pass even once in the game.
 
Unfortunately for the Eagles, two of their staff's five walks came at the most inopportune time – to load the bases and then with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. The game-tying run came home on a that second walk, a four-pitch walk, before Austin managed a weakly hit groundout right back her to end the inning, strand three for Hilo and keep Biola alive into extra innings.
 
Biola went down in order in both the eighth and ninth innings. Hilo managed runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings, but in the end it was the 10^th inning that mattered most and that's the one that went in favor of the Eagles.
 
Hilo may not have walked anybody in this game, but they did miss pitches inside pretty regularly, plunking three Biola batters. No hit batter was bigger than when Kylie Velasco was hit-by-a-pitch in the top of the fifth inning while the bases were loaded. That allowed Kiana Meriales to score and was Velasco's third RBI of the day. She drove in three of Biola's four total runs on day one vs. Hilo.
 
Biola had 17 hits on the day, so getting runners on was not the problem – getting them to score was. Five of Biola's eight game two hits came from the top-4 spots in the lineup.
 
Austin got the win in relief to improve to 6-1 on the season, but Biola had solid pitching outings from all three arms in this one. Paula Damas started the game, going four innings and allowing just three hits to the Vulcans while holding them off the board. Jennifer Morinishi threw the middle of the game, going 2.2 innings and also allowing just three hits.
 
The winning pitcher went a total of 10.1 innings pitched over the doubleheader, allowing just two hits and striking out 10.
 
The win pushes Biola to 11-2 overall and 6-0 in PacWest. Hawaii Hilo falls to 7-9 and 2-2 in PacWest Conference play.
 
The two teams are scheduled to play again on Tuesday, March 3 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. The decision on field location will not be made until the morning as Hawaii Hilo's home field MAY be playable and the teams may not have to make the 1.5-hour drive to Kona.
 
The news of field location will be posted on the schedule page at athletics.biola.edu in the morning. An update will also go out on social media @biolaathletics.