Redding, Calif. - After dropping the opening game of the Cal Pac Tournament, the Golden Eagles stayed alive by winning their second game of the day, avoiding elimination. La Sierra opened the tournament with a 4-6 loss to the top seeded Mariners of Marymount University. Then faced with elimination, the Golden Eagles defeated Embry-Riddle University, by a final of 6-3.
Marymount def. La Sierra, 6-4
The Mariners wasted no time, as they jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs in the opening inning. They would never trail in the game, despite La Sierra knotting the score at 2-2 with two runs in the top of the 2ndinning. Marymount two runs in each of the next two innings, taking a commanding 6-2 lead, and eventually hanging on for the 6-4 win.
Three different Golden Eagles players (Kaylee Quezada, Anysia Gonzalez, and Kirstin Mullen) finished the game with two hits apiece. Mullen led the team with two RBI's in the loss.
Megan Dalton was charged with the loss after giving up four runs and five hits through 2 2/3 innings of work.
La Sierra def. ERAU, 6-3
In what was a 'win or go home' scenario, the Golden Eagles were matched up against Embry-Riddle who lost their opening game of the tournament against the host and defending champions, Simpson University.
The Golden Eagles struck first with a 2-run 2ndinning, taking a 2-0 lead, that held up until the 4thinning. In the bottom half of the 4th, ERAU scored their first runs of the game and took a 3-2 lead. But the lead proved to be short-lived after the Golden Eagles got a run back in the 5thinning, tying the score at 3-3. That run was one of four unanswered runs scored by La Sierra over the final three innings of play, eliminating Embry-Riddle from the tournament.
Taylor Brooks, Arianna Rivas, Gonzalez, and Quezada each had two hits in the win and accounted for eight of the team's 11 total hits. Six different player drove in at least one run and six different players scored a run for the Golden Eagles.
Kirsten Hernandez, came into the game, in relief, and picked up the win after pitching the final four innings, giving up no runs on just three hits.
The team will now await their next opponent, as the Golden Eagles will face the loser of Game 4 of the tournament, between Marymount and Simpson, which will be played at 12pm, on Friday afternoon. La Sierra's game is scheduled to get underway at approximately 230pm.
