LA MIRADA, Calif. – Last season's regular season champions of the GSAC are officially on to their next chapter, as Tuesday marked day one of the 2025 PacWest softball calendar. Renewing an old rivalry from their time in the GSAC, the day began with Jessup making history and ended with Biola playing spoiler.
Tuesday's clash with Biola marked the 24th and 25th all-time meetings between the two programs and was their first since a non-conference battle in February of 2018. With Tuesday's split, the Warriors hold a 16-9 lifetime advantage over the Eagles, including a 9-5 mark as conference foes. The two programs were rivals in the GSAC from 2015 – 2017.
The ball was flying in game one, and the Warriors took advantage of it, starting in the second inning when
Emma Gaytan launched her first home run of the season. The Warriors would leave the yard again in the fourth, this time off the bat of
Sarah Giles, as her sixth homer of the year scored three of the five runs the Warriors piled on in the frame.
Jessup pieced together six extra-base hits in the opener, as the two home runs were paired with four doubles. Infielder
Hannah Dominguez provided a pair of the two-baggers, as twice she narrowly missed a home run, settling for a ball off the wall instead.
Dominguez finished the game 2-for-3 at the dish with a walk and a run scored. Giles, who finished 1-for-3, drove in five runs as the Warriors held on to beat Biola 9-4.
Alexandria Himes is credited with the victory in Jessup's first PacWest win, as she pitched a complete game in which she allowed four runs (two earned) on 12 hits while walking none.
Now, with their first game jitters out of the way, the Warriors were on to game two under the lights at Biola's Freedom Field.
Keeping with the trend of game one, the Warriors put runs on the board first, as a pair of opposite-field singles from
Kylie Nunes and
Liliana DeAnda had Jessup leading 2-0 before ever stepping on the field defensively.
A third run would come in the third as a wild pitch allowed
Maddy Ybarra to score, and the run was needed, as it came an inning after Biola evened the score with a two-run home run.
Jessup's 3-2 advantage held into the bottom of the seventh, as three more outs would wrap up a Tuesday sweep. An error allowed the leadoff runner to reach base, and after Biola advanced the runner with a sacrifice bunt, the tying run would score on a second error issued to the Warriors.
Tuesday's finale then went to extra innings, beginning with each side posting a scoreless eighth inning. After the Warriors went down in order in the ninth, Biola started their half with a single. Another bunt followed, placing the potential winning run in scoring position. With one out in the ninth, the third error charged to Jessup's defense allowed the winning run to come around to score, ending the day with a split.
Bella MacFarlane received the loss, having allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits during her 8.1 innings in the circle.
The Warriors and Eagles will return to Freedom Field on Tuesday as the series concludes with another doubleheader. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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Jessup University is a provisional member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).
