LA MIRADA, Calif. – In its first two Pacific West Conference games of the season, Academy of Art softball ended up falling to Biola 8-0 in the first matchup before holding a late lead, but dropping the second contest 2-1 at Freedom Field on Friday evening.
GAME 1 – BU 8, ART U 0 (5)
Following a scoreless first inning, the Eagles were the first to push runs across, using two consecutive doubles after loading the bases in the bottom of the second. Biola increased the lead with another rally in the fourth, scoring three runs on three hits and two errors and, in the fifth, another pair of doubles immediately ended the game at 8-0 with the run rule going into effect.
GAME 2 – BU 2, ART U 1
Sophomore pitcher
Haley Arnold-Jolley (0-1) and Biola's Paula Damas (2-0) dueled through the first two innings before Academy of Art rallied for a 1-0 lead in the third. A leadoff single by sophomore outfielder
Bethany Mitchell was converted into a run on senior infielder
Gracie Sotomayor's fifth career triple and, pitching with the lead, Arnold-Jolley proceeded to put up two more scoreless frames, retiring all six batters in order.
The Urban Knights strung together two hits in the fifth, but instead it was Biola who came back with two hits for extra bases during a two-run bottom half of the inning. Bringing the game one starting pitcher back in to toss the two frames that followed, the Eagles ended up securing the 2-1 victory by the day's end.
For Academy of Art, now 1-10 overall and 0-2 in PacWest action, Sotomayor upped her season batting average to .357 after a 2-for-5 day that included a run batted in and a triple. Mitchell was 1-for-3 with a run scored in game two and Arnold-Jolley's four scoreless innings served as her best start of the season.
Improving to 5-2 overall and 2-0 in PacWest play, Biola was led offensively by Jennifer Morinishi (4-for-5, five RBIs, three doubles) and defensively by Paige Austin who improved to 3-1 with a win, a save, no runs allowed on one hit, and eight strikeouts on the day.
The Urban Knights' four-part series with the Eagles concludes tomorrow with a doubleheader set to begin at noon.
