COSTA MESA - Biola defeated Corban in a pair of hard-fought one-run games on Wednesday afternoon, taking 3-2 and 1-0 decisions at the Vanguard University field.
Biola improved its season record to 17-3 while Corban fell to 9-5.
BIOLA 3, CORBAN 2 (
Box Score)
The Warriors jumped on Biola starting pitcher CeCe Luster for single runs in each of the first two frames. They scored in the first on a walk to
Annie Owen and consecutive base hits by
Aubrene Blas and
Breonna Bejaran, and then made it 2-0 in the second on a two-out RBI double by Owen.
It stayed that way through five innings as
Samantha Gutwig kept Biola off the scoreboard. Meanwhile, Eagles reliever Reba DePriest got out of bases-loaded jamp in the third and left two runners in scoring position in the fourth before retiring 11 of Corban's final 12 batters.
Biola broke through in the bottom of the sixth. A double, followed by two infield dribblers, loaded the bases for Luster's two-run double. Celina Thornton followed with a single to drive in the game-winning run.
The Warriors finished the with six hits, including two from Bejaran.
Jessica Slate, pitching in relief of Gutwig, took her first loss against three victories this season.
BIOLA 1, CORBAN 0 (
Box Score)
Luster and DePriest combined on a no-hitter, allowing only three base runners in the entire game.
Kyrianna Sorensen led off the fifth with a walk and stole second, but that was as far as any Corban player got.
The Eagles scored the game's only run in the first on Ashley Spadt's double and an error.
Jessica Holsinger was the hard-luck loser for the Eagles, allowing the one unearned run on eight hits while fanning four and walking two. Her season record is now 3-3.
"Our pitchers did a great job today holding Biola's offense in check, and even though we didn't put up a lot of runs, we did a great job competing during every at bat against some of the best pitchers we will see all year," Corban head coach
Nathan Ohta said.
"Biola will be one of the top teams in the country this year, and it was great to see the girls competing at that level. We are getting better every time out, and the pieces are starting to really come together. I think the girls showed today that they are capable of playing at a very high level, and that was good to see."
The Warriors travel to Thousand Oaks on Thursday to play Cal Lutheran in a doubleheader before finishing their 10-game Southern California road trip with another twinbill against Hope International on Friday.