The Concordia Eagles began conference play against the Biola Eagles on Friday afternoon.  The two teams played two games, and for CUI, the winning formula remained unchanged from nonconference action.  Their pitching was again a strength, led by sophomore sensation Callie Nunes and the ever-reliable junior Jordan Quinn.  CUI's timely hitting and top-to-bottom lineup depth proved to be a strength, as well.

Game One: Both teams sent their aces to the mound in game one, and for much of the way, it was a pitcher's duel.  Over the first three innings, neither team was able to muster up much on the offensive end.  Biola collected two hits in the first three innings, but couldn't score any runs.  CUI drew two walks and got two hits, but BU pitcher Paige Austin was able to maneuver out of jams to keep the game tied at zero.

In the fourth, the Eagles pulled ahead.  After back-to-back walks by Mackenzie Graham and McKinsey Thorpe, the Eagles took the lead after a BU error, and then they added another on a wild pitch to take a 2-0 lead at the end of four.

Meanwhile, Nunes continued to cruise.  After struggling with her control early, she settled in, retiring the final 10 batters of the game to clinch the win.  CUI added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning on a double by Sarah Krestschmar and went on to win game one, 3-0.

Eagle Eye:  Nunes pitched seven shutout innings, extending her scoreless innings streak to 26.1.  Mackenzie Graham finished two-for-two at the plate, with a walk and a run scored. 

Game Two: The second game of the day looked like it was going to be another comfortable Concordia win, but the BU Eagles had other things to say.
With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the second inning, the CUI offense found their rhythm.  Michelle Lieng led off the inning by taking a low pitch and golfing it over the left center field wall for her first home run of the season.  The Eagles then added three more hits, two more runs, and took a 3-0 lead into the third inning.
After two more shutout innings by Jordan Quinn, the Biola offense came alive.  With two on and two outs, Hailey Boyett launched a three run home run to tie the game.  Quinn got out of the rest of the inning unscathed and the game remained tied at three.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, CUI put together a rally of their own.  Sydney Sprinkle and Erika Morris each singled to get the rally started.  Aggressive baserunning by Morris moved her into scoring position on the throw and CUI was in business with no outs.  Michelle Lieng followed, and after grounding to short, Myka Hughes, pinch running for Sprinkle, was cut down at the plate, but Julianna Covarrubias, pinch running for Morris, then came all the way around to score when the Biola catcher attempted to throw out Lieng at second.  The aggressive base running gave the Eagles a 4-3 lead heading into the top of the sixth.

In the sixth, Nunes came out of the bullpen, looking for her 10^th career save and first of her career.  After getting two quick outs, Biola was down to their final out.  On a 2-2 count, Kayla Neff launched a towering home run over the left field wall to tie the game at four. 

With the sun quickly falling in the sky and darkness approaching, the Eagles went to the bottom of the seventh in need of offense.  They got it, and they got it quickly.  On the first pitch, freshman Megan Massa turned on a ball and roped it over the fence for a walk off home run.  The Eagles won 5-4, and began conference play with a sweep. 

"I tried to keep my swing small in hopes of just getting on base to help my team," said Massa.  "Once I knew it went over, I was completely in shock and overwhelmed with joy."

Despite standing at only 4'11", Massa packs a punch in her swing.  "Don't let her size fool you," said coach Crystal Rosenthal.  "She has serious power."

Coach Rosenthal continued, "It's a great way to start the season.  I'm proud of my team today."

Eagle Eye: Megan Massa finished four-for-four at the plate, with her first career home run coming in the bottom of the seventh.  Lauren Lopez finished one-for-two, with one run scored and one RBI.

What's Next:  The Eagles hit the road for their next 12 games.  They begin the road trip against Azusa Pacific tomorrow afternoon at 12 PM in Azusa.