IRVINE, Calif. - Riding a four game winning streak, the Eagles returned to the field Monday to face the Adelphi University Panthers.  Three days ago, CUI swept the Concordia Portland Cavaliers and the star on the diamond for the Eagles was sophomore Callie Nunes.  CUI's All-American threw her third career no-hitter in the home opener for the Eagles.  On Monday, she was on her game again.

Game one: In the first inning, Nunes blew the Panthers away.  She retired the side in order, striking out all three batters.  In the bottom of the first, the Eagles gave Nunes a lead to work with after a two out rally.  Amanda Gjertsen and Sydni Dix each reached base, and then both runners came around to score on an error, putting the Eagles on top 2-0 at the end of the one.

The early lead was all Nunes needed.  As the game went on, it became clear that spectators were seeing something familiar.  The recently named PacWest Pitcher of the Week continued to dominate, setting the Panthers down in order in the second and third innings.  She was perfect through three. 

In the bottom of the third, the Eagles added another run.  After Gjertsen doubled to left and moved up on a Dix hit, Erika Morris brought her home on a sacrifice fly to center.  At the end of three, the Eagles led 3-0.

The Eagles added another run in the fifth on a double steal, first and home, by Dix and Lauren Lopez, but the story continued to be Nunes on the mound.  Though one Panther reached on an error in the fourth, and Nunes hit a batter and walked another in the fifth, her no hitter remained intact as the game went to the sixth.

In the sixth, Nunes hit another batter, but she was later thrown out by Mackenzie Graham trying to steal second.  Nunes got through the inning still maintaining her no hit bid.

In the seventh, Nunes got the first two hitters on weak contact, and then faced Kailah Konkel with two outs in the inning.  With two strikes, Nunes blew a pitch past Konkel to finish the game with 12 strikeouts and notch a no-hitter for the second consecutive game.

"I'm a feel pitcher completely," said Nunes.  "When my body feels right, I'm in my groove, I'm ready to go, and that's what happened today.  My body felt good and I was getting the results that I wanted."

After uncharacteristic struggles for Nunes in the Desert Stinger in Las Vegas to begin the season, Nunes has returned to top form. 

"Callie has continued to work hard, regardless of her outcome, which makes her tough," said head coach Crystal Rosenthal.

The no-hitter was the fourth of Nunes' career.

Game two: While Nunes has earned great acclaim already in her short career, Jordan Quinn has proven to be steady, as well.  On Saturday, she followed Nunes' no hitter with a gem of her own, and on Monday, she did the same.

"Jordan simply has had more opportunity this year and has really done something with it," said coach Rosenthal.  "She has earned every bit of success she has had."

On Monday, Quinn hit her spots, changed speeds well, and sent Panther hitters back to the dugout with regularity.  Quinn pitched four innings, gave up only two hits and didn't allow any runs. 

While the Eagles' offense was solid in game one, they were dynamic in game two.  In the second inning, the Eagles collected three hits, and with the help of two Panther errors, they brought in four runs. 

The Eagles added another run in the third on freshman Sydney Sprinkle's first career home run, a shot over the left field wall.  They were just getting started.  In the fourth, the Eagles exploded for eight runs.  14 hitters reached the plate, eight collected hits, and the game was blown wide open.  After adding one run already, Gjertsen smashed a grand slam off the foul pole in left field to put the Eagles up 10-0.  The barrage of hits continued, and when the inning finally came to a close, the Eagles were on top 13-0.

With a massive lead to work with, head coach Crystal Rosenthal called on her multi-talented freshman Erika Morris to finish off the game on the mound.  Morris got the Panthers in order in her first career inning in the circle and the Eagles finished the doubleheader sweep in style.

"It was an amazing team atmosphere in our dugout," said coach Rosenthal.  "I appreciated my team's focus and effort today."

The Eagles put their six-game winning streak on the line tomorrow afternoon, closing out their three game series with Adelphi at 1:00 p.m. at Eagles Field.

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