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Christensen-Hitting-Mines
Antonio Clark
Nicole Christensen had CMU's lone hit in Friday's game.
2
Winner Biola BU-SB 2-1
1
Colorado Mesa CMSB 1-1
Winner
Biola BU-SB
2-1
2
Final
1
Colorado Mesa CMSB
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Biola BU-SB 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 6 0
Colorado Mesa CMSB 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1

W: Austin, Paige (2-0) L: Smith, Ellie (0-1)

Game Recap: Softball | | by Chris Day

Mavs drop heartbreaker to No.3 Biola to finish 1-1 on opening day

IRVINE, Calif.— The 21st-ranked Colorado Mesa University Mavericks held a 1-0 lead through six innings but gave up two runs in the top of the seventh as No. 3 Biola University, the 2021 NCAA Division II National runners-up, rallied to win a national ranking showdown during Concordia Kickoff Classic action on Friday evening here at Great Park.
 
Both teams went 1-1 on the day as the Mavericks had defeated San Francisco State, 9-1 in the season-opener.  Biola moved to 2-1 overall with the victory.
 
In the nightcap, delayed by approximately 90 minutes due to the length of earlier games, Maverick pitchers Paige Adair and Ellie Smith gave up just three hits in the first six innings of a shutout bid before three straight 1-out singles followed by a wild pitch allowed the Eagles to take the lead.
 
Paige Austin, one of the top pitchers in the country, then recorded a 1-2-3 inning bottom of the seventh to claim the pitcher's duel for her and the Eagles.  Austin (2-0) struck out 13 Mavericks and surrendered just one hit to earn the win while Smith (0-1) allowed just five hits while striking out seven after coming in for relief of Adair, who threw the first two innings.
 
Adair and the Mavericks were living dangerously early on as Biola left five runners on base in the opening two frames. 
 
The Mavs then took a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a hit, in the bottom of the third when Ashley Bradford drew a lead-off walk before moving to third as Grand Valley natives Myah Arrieta and Brandi Haller were both hit by pitches.  Center fielder Iliana Mendoza then drove in her fifth run of the day on a fielder's choice to plate Bradford with the Mavs' run.
 
CMU then picked up their first and only hit of the night when Nicole Christensen singled to begin the fourth before moving to second on a Ally Distler walk.  However, Austin retired three straight and 12 of the final 13 Mavs she faced to claim the victory.
 
The Mavs will have another challenging day on Saturday when they face Chico State, which defeated Biola, 8-0 earlier Friday, and tenth-ranked tournament host Concordia Irvine.  Both of those opponents are 2-0 on the young season.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was updated on Saturday, February 5th after the correction of statistics.
 
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