ROCKLIN, Calif. – William Jessup University's softball team (15-21, 8-10) took both games against Biola University (20-24-1, 6-11) in their double header Friday, passing the Eagles in the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) standings.
GAME 1
Sophomore Shelbi Graifman (Antioch, CA) held the mound for the Warriors in game one and allowed only four hits after pitching the entirety of the game in the 3-0 win. Graifman retired an impressive 10 batters on strikes during the game, at one point recording four consecutive strikeouts. Graifman was backed up by a zero-error performance from the remainder of Jessup's field including impressive play by the Warrior shortstop Kyla Cisneros (Visalia, CA).
Biola also played impressive defensive, holding Jessup's scoring opportunities to just one production inning, but that would be enough. In Jessup's first at bat, Ali Medina (Galt, CA) led off the inning with a walk. Cisneros approached the plate soon after and threaded a base hit ball between the Biola third baseman and shortstop. The left fielder bobbled the ball when it reached her, giving Medina the window she needed to reach home plate while Cisneros advanced to second.
Clarissa Blaquera (Union City, CA) hit a two-out base hit straight through the middle of the infield sending Cisneros across home plate. Teammate Amanda Taylor (Rio Oso, CA) elected to use a similar strategy and hit her pitch straight through the middle of the infield as well, recording her own RBI as Blaquera crossed home plate.
From that point forward the game was quiet from an offensive standpoint. Biola's Kendall Maddox received the loss allowing three runs in 0.2 innings.
GAME 2
Jessup maintained a similar defensive pressure for the remainder of the afternoon while picking up their pace at bat in the finale of Friday's doubleheader. Jessica Myers (Modesto, CA) held the mound for the Warriors in the 8-0 victory, pitching seven innings allowing no runs on five hits and striking out five in the shutout.
The Warriors started out the game similarly to game one, pushing to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. With two outs Cisneros and Graifman each reached on a base hit and base on balls respectively. Blaquera came to the plate and proceeded to crush the ball over the centerfield fence for a three-run home run, her third long ball of the season.
Cisneros looked to extend Jessup's lead in the third inning. After Delaney Slater (Folsom, CA) reached on a base hit to open up the inning Cisneros airmailed her season's fourth home run past the fence and good for two runs. The Warriors capped off the game in the bottom of the sixth inning when Slater hit a two-RBI single with bases loaded allowing freshman teammates Mikayla Laymance (Grass Valley, CA) and Breanna Miskimen (Torrance, CA) to complete their four-stop journeys around the diamond. A wild pitch allowed Medina to reach home bringing Jessup's score to eight.
Biola's Terri Van Dagens received the loss pitching one inning and allowing three runs on two hits.
Jessup returns to Azevedo Park in Rocklin, California Saturday, April 16 to host Vanguard University at 12:00 p.m. for another weekend doubleheader.
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William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook), @WJUSports (Twitter), and @JessupAthletics (Instagram, and Snapchat).
