Mickelson’s heroics, similar to the 3-run bomb she hit in Saturday’s regular-season finale 3-0 victory over Point Loma Nazarene, came in a single-elimination game that moved the Cougars into the tournament semifinal series with Cal Baptist.
The Cougars moved out to a 3-0 lead after 3 innings of play against Biola. They parlayed an Erika Navarrete lead-off single into an unearned run in the first inning. Erin Halma’s bases loaded flare into right field scored Erika Marmolejo in the second inning to increase the lead to 2-0. A Bekah Weisser double down the left field line scored Mickelson to give Azusa Pacific was appeared to be a comfortable 3-0 cushion through 3 innings of play.
That would have seemed to be enough for All-GSAC pitcher Camille Hundley, who did not allow a hit through the first 3 innings of work. However, Eagle third baseman Keena Levert greeted Hundley with a lead off home run in the fourth inning, a bomb over the centerfield fence to end the no-hit and shut out bids.
The Eagles added 2 more runs in the top of the fifth on Sara Smith’s infield single that deflected off Hundley’s glove and trickled toward a vacant shortstop area, knotting the score at 3-3.
Biola, which took 3 of 4 regular-season games from Azusa Pacific which included a sweep in La Mirada just 2 weeks ago, swung the momentum in its favor. Mickelson, though, changed all of that with 1 swing, her seventh home run of the season and the 28th of her career, second most in Cougar softball history.
After putting the Eagles down in order in the sixth inning, Hundley ran in trouble in the seventh, allowing a lead off single and 2-out flare into left-center that put runners at the corners with Levert again at the plate. The veteran Hundley, who has appeared in over 100 games in the pitcher’s circle in her Cougar career, kept her poise and struck out Levert to end the threat, the game, and Biola’s season at 19-21.
With the win, Hundley, who struck out 4, improved to 14-10 on the season. The Cougars had 13 hits in the contest with Mickelson, Navarrete, Halma, Weisser and Jen Whitten all collecting 2 hits apiece.
Thirty minutes after beating Biola, the Cougars took the field again to begin a best 2-of-3-game semifinal series with GSAC regular-season champ and the NAIA’s No. 1-ranked California Baptist.
The Lancers took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning without the benefit of a hit. Halma, who got the call to pitch the second game, walked Ashley Boyd to lead off the game. Boyd then advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches and came home on Nikki Lowe’s sacrifice fly to center field.
The Cougars had a golden opportunity to at least tie the game, if not take the lead, when they loaded the bases with 1 out in the top of the third inning. However, All-GSAC pitcher Tory Ferreira struck out Halma and got Mickelson to hit a dribbler in the front of the plate to get out of the inning unscathed.
The Lancers led off the bottom of the fourth with back-to-back singles and pinch-hitter Tina Galinato cashed them in with a 2-out single to put Cal Baptist up 3-0.
Azusa Pacific put runners at second base in the fifth and sixth innings but could not touch up Ferreira or reliever Melanie Ahumada, as Cal Baptist held on for its 31st shutout of the season.
With the victory Cal Baptist moves to 51-4 on the season and takes a 1-0 lead over Azusa Pacific in their 3-game series. The 2 teams meet again at Cal Baptist Wednesday (April 29) at noon. If Azusa Pacific wins, the 2 teams will play a third and deciding game, 30 minutes later. Wednesday’s winner advances to the tournament’s championship series, another best 2-of-3 set against the winner of the Point Loma/Concordia series, concluding in San Diego on Wednesday as well.
