TRACY, Calif. ---The Biola softball team battled into extra innings but fell 5-4 to Cal State Monterey Bay on Saturday morning at the Tracy Sports Complex.
The Eagles (8-11) matched the Otters (13-4) hit-for-hit, with both teams recording nine, but two sacrifice flies in the top of the eighth inning proved to be the difference.
CSUMB struck first in the third inning, but Biola responded immediately in the bottom half. Grace Harrison singled to start the rally and later scored on a Jackie Ibarra RBI double to left center. Kendall Nakano followed with an RBI single up the middle to give the Eagles a 2-1 advantage.
The Otters regained the lead in the fifth inning, plating two runs to go ahead 3-2. Biola answered once again in the bottom half of the frame. Kennadie Tsue singled, and consecutive base hits from Ibarra and Lizzie Byer tied the game at 3-3.
Both teams were held scoreless through the sixth and seventh innings, sending the contest into extras.
Under the international tiebreaker rule, CSUMB capitalized in the top of the eighth. A sacrifice fly and another RBI sac fly allowed the Otters to plate two runs and take a 5-3 lead.
Biola continued to fight in the bottom of the inning. Ibarra was placed on second to begin the frame, and Byer reached on a single to put runners on the corners. Nakano delivered with an RBI fielder's choice to score Ibarra and cut the deficit to 5-4. However, the Eagles were unable to bring home the tying run, as a pair of flyouts ended the game.
Ibarra led the Eagles offensively, going 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Nakano added two hits and two RBIs, while Byer collected two hits and drove in a run.
Kayla Bousquette threw the first five innings. CSUMB scored three runs off of Bousquette and recorded seven hits. DJ Symons began the sixth inning, at a 3-3 tied game, and pitched the final three innings. The Otters scored two runs off of Symons in the eighth.
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