Riverside, Calif. - After opening the season with a split just a week ago, the Golden Eagles hosted Biola University on Friday and came out with a win (8-7) in addition to a 3-3 tie. Prior to the regular scheduled doubleheader, last week's split did not become official until the two teams completed a suspended game from the week before. Biola, who led 6-1 through four innings of play, would go on to win the game 8-2.
Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader was an offensive battle with the two teams combining for 15 runs and 26 total hits.
Biola took an early 2-0 lead with a run in each of the first two innings. La Sierra scored three runs in the bottom half of the third inning to take a 3-2 lead. The lead didn't last long as Biola answered with a run in the fourth inning.
The game remained tied until the sixth inning when Rebekah Barcenas scored on a Brittany Martinez walk, giving the lead back to La Sierra, 4-3.
Just three outs away from a win, Biola mounted a rally where they used five hits to score four runs and take control 7-4.
But not to be denied or outdone, the Golden Eagles mounted a rally of their own capped off by Melanie Vidaurri's walk-off single that scored Berlyn Benavides and Genifer Garbellini to steal the 8-7 victory.
Five different Golden Eagles had two hits in the game (Garbellini, Vidaurri, Martinez, Taylor Gimondo, and Sierra Singer). Garbellini, Vidaurri, Martinez, and Gimondo anchored the line-up with each player tallying two runs batted in for La Sierra.
Game 2 went seven complete innings with La Sierra's Vanessa Froussine and Biola's Kimmy Triolo each going the distance, surrendering three run (two earned) on five hits. Froussine tallied six strikeouts in a game that ended 3-3 and was abandoned due to sunset.
Biola scored all of their runs in the third inning, while the Golde Eagles got a run back in the bottom half of the third and tied the game with two runs in the fifth inning.
The win and the tie push the Golden Eagles record to 3-2-1 on the season. The team will be back in action on Sunday when they host Pacific Lutheran University at 12pm.
