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Abie Nowak swinging
Steven Guersch
0
Vanguard University VUSC 0
8
Winner Biola University BU-SB 0
Vanguard University VUSC
0
0
Final
8
Biola University BU-SB
0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Vanguard University VUSC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Biola University BU-SB 0 0 3 0 5 8 10 0

W: Austin, Paige (0-0) L: Dwyer, Vanessa (0-0)

5
Vanguard University VUSC 0
6
Winner Biola University BU-SB 0
Vanguard University VUSC
0
5
Final
6
Biola University BU-SB
0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Vanguard University VUSC 0 0 2 0 1 0 2 5 11 4
Biola University BU-SB 1 0 0 2 1 2 X 6 8 1

W: Messmer, Kylee (0-0) L: Vargas, Samantha (0-0)

Game Recap: Softball |

Eagles Sweep with No-No, Walk-off HBP

Biola Softball earned two exhibition wins on Friday, out-scoring Vanguard 14-5 overall.

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- It was a pair of wildly different ballgames at Freedom Field on Friday afternoon as Biola Softball hosted its first intercollegiate competition since Concordia Portland came to town last year on Feb. 29.

Just like that doubleheader, Biola got two favorable results in this one, beating the visiting Vanguard Lions 8-0 in game one before pulling out a narrow 6-5 win in an enjoyable second game.

The story of game one was five no-hit innings from Paige Austin helping the Eagles' offense walk it off in run-rule fashion in the bottom of the fifth with the 8-0 victory. Austin was lights out from the first pitch, seeming to be right in the mid-season form she left off in 2020. The fourth-year Eagle struck out eight, only allowed two base runners and grabbed the win in a tidy 78 pitches.
On the offensive end it was another familiar face grabbing the spotlight as Kayla Neff drove in four of the Eagles' eight runs with a 2-for-3 effort batting out of the 5-hole.
 
The game was won on a walk-off hit-by-pitch as Ruth Munoz got plunked with the bases loaded to bring home newcomer Abie Nowak. Munoz was a certified ball magnet today, getting hit by a pitch three times in eight plate appearances.

Five of the Eagles' eight runs in the opener came from the first three spots in the lineup as Munoz and Kylie Velasco both scored twice and Jennifer Morinishi touched home place once.

Neff scored once and the other runs came courtesy freshmen Maddie Riley and Abie Nowak. The big damage came in the fifth and final inning as Biola hung a five-spot finally getting to the VUSC starter and got the victory.

It was a strange ending to the game with Munoz getting the walk-off hit-by-pitch and Allie Beck being plunked immediately before her to drive in a run in her first intercollegiate contest. A Kayla Neff two-run single earlier in the frame helped make the run-rule victory a possibility.
 
The first game was enjoyable for the Biola supporters, but the second game had wider appeal as it was a close, competitive and quality softball game from all aspects. 

Vanguard bounced back from being hitless in the first contest to hang 11 hits on the board in the nightcap against a trio of Biola pitchers. The Lions fell behind when Biola scored one in the first inning, set up by a Munoz lead-off hit-by-pitch and cashed in by a Brie Nowak line drive RBI single.

The Lions managed to chalk up two two-out runs later on in the game to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning. They were able to hold onto that lead for just over an inning until BU got back in front in the bottom of the fourth. Last year's RBI leader Velasco led off the fourth inning with a laser beam double and came around to score the tying run on a Kayla Neff single.

Brie Nowak also got a single in the frame. She was pinch run for by Maddie Riley who came around to score the go-ahead run when a Kiana Meriales batted ball was mishandled by VUSC. Vanguard had a tough one defensively in this one, making four errors in the contest, which equated to three unearned runs for the Eagles.
 
A lead-off triple in the top of the fifth inning allowed Vanguard to once again tie things up. They pushed the run home immediately on a groundout to the right side. But Raylene Roybal was able to end the damage at one run.

That allowed BU to jump back out ahead with one run in the fifth and two in the sixth, sending new pitcher Kylee Messmer into the top of the seventh with a three-run lead. The Eagles needed every bit of those three runs to get away with the win as Vanguard awoke their offense with two hits, a walk and a stolen base.
 
Ultimately, Messmer had two outs and a runner on second base with the slim 6-5 lead and was able to get a swinging strikeout to end the game.

Biola's pitchers (Morinishi, Roybal and Messmer) combined for seven strikeouts in game two, giving BU 15 Ks for the day. Conversely, Biola batters only got set down on strikes three times.
 
Freshmen shined brightly in this doubleheader. The newcomers combined for two RBI and two runs scored in game two, with Allie Beck getting one of each. 

These games do not go towards Biola's overall record or Vanguard's with both teams using this as an exhibition opportunity. The Eagles' full schedule for 2021 has yet to be announced as the PacWest still needs to fully approve it.

Keep checking athletics.biola.edu and @biolaathletics on social media for any updates.
 
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