April 25, 2010

Story courtesy of Concordia Sports Information

IRVINE, Calif. - No. 7 Concordia (Calif.) fell behind by a 1-0 score in the first inning of both games, but came up with enough firepower to overcome both deficits and pull out a doubleheader sweep over Biola (Calif.) in the final home date of the year Saturday.

Concordia ends the regular season at 40-16, including a third-place mark of 15-9 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. It's just the third time in school history--but second year in a row--that the Eagles have reached the 40-win plateau.

Biola ends its regular season at 19-23, including 9-15 GSAC.

Concordia next plays at the GSAC Postseason Tournament May 4-7, where the Eagles will take on Vanguard (Calif.) in a play-in game at Point Loma Nazarene.

On senior day, it was senior right-hander Rachel Reekstin who shined in the circle, going seven innings for a complete-game victory in the opener before coming in for the save in the nightcap.

Reekstin (10-9) fell behind by a 1-0 tally in the top of the first, when Biola's Krista Johnson singled in a run with the bases loaded. Johnson's single looked like it would plate two, but senior center fielder Shannon Walton gunned down a runner at the plate to limit the damage.

In the home half of the second, Walton singled down the right field line to start a three-run rally. Walton advanced to third base on a double by junior catcher Carly Smith, then scored on a single by sophomore shortstop Alyssa Erickson to tie the game at 1-1.

Smith was thrown at the plate when she tried to score on Erickson's single, but the rally continued on consecutive singles by freshman right fielder Shainna Groom and NAIA All-American sophomore first baseman Katie Carson, which scored a run and kept the bases loaded for an RBI beanball worn by junior third baseman Samantha Perez that made the final score 3-1.

The Eagles put two on with no outs in the sixth, but Biola left fielder Jill Storm made a shoestring catch on a line drive from Erickson and doubled off the two runners to complete a triple play.

Biola lefty Lyndsie Roberts (11-14) took the loss in both games, but helped herself out with a three-run homer in the top of the sixth that helped chase Concordia starter Jennifer Simons and cut Concordia's lead to 6-4.

Simons would eventually pick up the win and improve to 14-4, but needed a helping hand from Reekstin, whose two scoreless innings slammed the door on a would-be Biola comeback.

Game two featured a combined 12 illegal pitches, one of which was called on the same pitch when Biola's Lauren Gandy tripled with one out in the first. She scored on a sacrfice fly to make the score 1-0, and Roberts held the Eagles off the scoreboard through the first three frames.

Concordia rallied in the fourth when Walton reached on an two-out error. She ended up at third base on a single by senior catcher Melanie Hansen, who advanced to second on the throw to put two runners in scoring position with two out ahead of a two-run single by sophomore left fielder Alicia Lucatero, making it a 2-1 game.

Walton, Hansen and Lucatero each singled in a run in a four-run fifth, as the Eagles stretched their lead to 6-1, and Concordia scored three unearned runs in the sixth following the Roberts longball to make the final score 9-4.

Of the nine runs Roberts allowed in game two, only two of them were earned, as her defense committed four errors behind her.

Today was the final home game for Hansen, Walton, Reekstin and senior Alicia Leto, who drew a walk and scored in her only plate appearance of the day. Hansen went 3-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI in game two.

Lucatero and Carson finished with three hits each on the day, while Erickson went 2-for-3 in the opener, scoring a run and knocking in a run.