LA MIRADA, Calif. — A complete game shutout from Paige Austin on Senior Day helped Biola Softball hand No. 9 Concordia University Irvine its first PacWest Conference loss of the 2022 softball season.

The Eagles put up a pair of first-inning runs off of CUI starter Rae Flores and held Concordia Irvine without  any runner past second base all game long to knock the league champs from 28-0 to 28-1 in conference contests this year.

Austin made it known from the outset that she had her top-flight stuff on Saturday. She set the first three batters of the game down in order, all three via swinging strikeouts. 

She actually had a near-perfect first three innings against CUI, facing the minimum of nine batters the first time through the lineup.

Jennifer Morinishi was active and integral on her senior day, making big plays in the outfield and also driving the early offense for BU. She took a leadoff walk to begin the top of the first inning and scored one of the two runs that came home on RBI doubles from both Abie Nowak and Brie Nowak.

After the offense in the first, the game settled into a classic pitcher's duel that was eerily reminiscent of last year's regional championship game, which Biola won 1-0. 

Both teams would end the game with three hits total. Madison Blossey, also celebrating senior day, was the third Eagle to get a hit in this one. She had a one-out single in the fourth inning, but was stranded on base.

Blossey had a solid senior day effort in the box, reaching base via the hit and a hit-by-pitch in her only two plate appearances. 

Concordia University Irvine had their first hit of the afternoon in the fourth inning as their three-hole hitter singled through the left side with two away in the inning. Austin got the CUI cleanup hitter to strikeout on three-straight pitches to end any thought of a threat.

It was the fifth inning where Concordia Irvine had their biggest threat. The visitors strung together a pair of one-out singles to put runners on first and second base with first baseman and one of their more consistent run producers due up.

A highlight-reel play ended that run, as a sizzling lineout to Morinishi in shallow center field turned into a double play when they caught the Concordia Eagle leaning too far off second base.

After that it was smooth sailing for Austin as she got locked in and struck out the side in the sixth to set Biola up with a chance to win the game in the seventh. 

The BU offense went down in order during the bottom of the sixth to send Austin out to the circle to complete the shutout sitting on just about 80 pitches through the first six innings of work. 

Austin had to face batters 4-5-6 in the Concordia University Irvine lineup in order to earn the win. Those batters were 1-for-5 with a pair of strikeouts to that point in the game.

The inning began with a flyout to Madison Blossey in right field. The second out was made by Alexis Lara who made a long run to field a dying fly ball in left field.

Austin took it upon herself, though, to complete the final out. She set down Michaela Robison on consecutive pitches and was immediately swarmed by her teammates as she came off the field with tears of joy streaming down.

The win is helpful to Biola, who still has a slim shot at a playoff berth as the No. 10 team in the west region. The Biola Eagles improved to 21-17 overall and 14-11 in PacWest play with the victory. Concordia, the No. 2 team in the west, fell to 42-6 overall and 28-1 in league play.

The two sides square off one more time on Saturday with a start time just after 2:20 p.m.