Riverside, Calif. - The Golden Eagles were swept in Friday's non-conference doubleheader versus Hope International University. The Royals took Game 1, 7-6, in extra innings, then followed it up with a 5-2 win in the second game of the day. The losses drop the team's record to 6-9-1 on the season. The Golden Eagles play four more non-conference games before opening Cal Pac play on March 9.
La Sierra – 6, Hope Intl. – 7 (9 innings)
The Golden Eagles gave up two late runs, in the final two innings, and eventually lost the first game of the doubleheader. With the game tied at 1-1, heading into the fourth inning, the Royals scored two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. But the Golden Eagles answered right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and another run in the fifth inning to take a 5-3 lead into the sixth. The Royals scored a run in the sixth and seventh innings to send the game into extra innings tied at 5-5. The tying run was scored on a two-out hit in the seventh inning, before the Golden Eagles fell by the 7-6 final score in the ninth inning.
Brigitta Doherty finished 3-for-3 with a run batted in, while Sierra Singer added two hits in three at-bats and tied the team-high with two RBI's. Matching Singer's team-high was Kaylee Quezada who had a 2-RBI single.
Sarai Camacho got the start and pitched three innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on just one hit. Kirsten Hernandez was charged with the loss after giving up four runs on nine hits.
La Sierra – 2, Hope Intl. – 5
Despite outhitting the Royals, the Golden Eagles dropped Game 2 of the doubleheader. La Sierra scored two runs on 10 total hits, while the Royals cashed in five runs on eight hits. Taylor Ross and Jamie Roe accounted for six of the team's 10 hits. Ross and Roe each went 3-for-4 in the game, with Roe tallying two RBI's in the loss.
Vanessa Froussine was charged with the loss after giving up five runs on five hits through four innings of work. Keana Houchin pitched the final three innings and surrendered just three hits.
The Golden Eagles softball team will travel to Cal Baptist University, on Wednesday evening, for another non-conference doubleheader starting at 5pm. This will be the first meeting between the two programs, since 2014, when the Lancers defeated La Sierra, 10-2.
