ATHERTON, Calif. — Biola Softball picked up right where it left off in PacWest Conference competition, winning a pair of contests at Menlo on Monday to keep its unblemished conference record.
The Eagles won a tight game one by a final score of 1-0, behind a complete game shutout from Kayla Bousquette. Game two had a different flavor with BU piling on the offense and winning via run rule 10-2 in a five-inning contest.
In the opener, Bousquette twirled seven shutout frames, allowing the Oaks' hitters just three hits total as she extended her personal scoreless inning streak to 10 and lowered her season ERA to 1.87.
Bousquette pitched with the lead for the entire game as Biola took its 1-0 lead by scoring in the top of the first. The run came off when Lillianna Garcia hit her team-best sixth double of the season and Kendall Nakano ended up scoring.
Biola ended up with seven hits in game one, led by Garcia's 2-for-2 effort and Lizzie Byer's 2-for-3 showing. As the sun began set, the Eagles' bats got even hotter, doubling their hit output in game two to 14.
Those 14 hits supplied enough run support to make life easy for DJ Symons, who had an eight-run advantage before she even took her first trip out to the circle. The Eagles' hitters manufactured those eight first-inning runs with a string of timely singles, using four RBI singles and one Menlo error to send 13 batters to the dish while plating eight runs.
Menlo got a pair of one-out runs in their half of the second inning, but Biola added on individual runs in the top of the third and top of the fourth to reach run-rule territory and put the game away early.
The insurance runs came home courtesy a Kendall Nakano sacrifice fly and a single from Kennadie Tsue.
Symons allowed just four total hits and issued zero walks in her five innings of work while she picked up her fifth win of the season.
Jackie Ibarra set the tone for the Eagles in the nightcap, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored. She also walked to reach in each one of her plate appearances. She's now upped her on-base percentage to .383 for the season.
Nakano had a similar stat line, but a bit beefier. She was 2-for-2 as well, with one run scored and three RBI. She's inside the top-5 in the conference in hits (31) and RBI (20) this season. The 31 hits puts her inside the top-30 nationally.
Biola also got consistent production from the catcher position in game two, with Ariana Banos going 2-for-2 and Natalie Kim making the most of an opportunity to hit with a 1-for-1 effort.
The two wins push Biola to 11-11 overall and 4-0 in PacWest Conference competition. There will be new game times on Tuesday, with a first pitch scheduled for 9 a.m. at Menlo.
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