Avila Sweeps Westcliff, Knocks Off #7 HIU in First Half of California Trip

FULLERTON, Calif. – Avila softball (14-6) made huge waves in the first half of their week-long trip through California, winning two games against Westcliff (14-12) on Sunday and then taking one off Hope International (22-5), ranked the No. 7 team in the NAIA, on Monday as the Eagles began their eight-game stretch with three wins in four tries.

Fresh off their pair of wins over Bethany to begin KCAC play at The Z last Wednesday, Avila softball jetted out to California on Friday to begin their stretch of eight games in five days against four different west coast squads. Part of Avila's scheduling plan under head coach Charlie Kennedy has been to play games close to home for all of Avila's players at some point in their college careers: the Eagles went to Florida and Georgia last year, started this season in Texas, and are now spending this Spring Break in California, the home state of four Eagles and closer to home for a couple of other West Coasters.

The goal of the trip was to see some unique, strong competition and play some games on the West Coast, but the Eagles proved immediately that they came to California to play, not just participate. Avila was in trouble early in the first game of the week, spotting Westcliff four runs – only one of which was earned – in the second inning on Sunday afternoon on the campus of Fullerton College.

But the Eagles steadily chipped away, scoring two runs in the third to pull within 4-2, and then scoring single runs in each of the final four innings to mount a huge comeback. Hallie Campbell kicked things off with a solo home run in the third, and then the Eagles received RBI singles from three different players over the final three innings – Katie Wentworth in the fifth, Chelsea Kurtz in the sixth, and Stephanie Hayes in the seventh – to complete the comeback. Meanwhile, after allowing those four runs in the second McKayla Cotton was excellent the rest of the way, going the distance for the second straight game to earn the win in a 6-4 victory for the Eagles to begin the road trip.

Westcliff once again built a lead to begin game two, getting two-RBI singles from both Alexyia Reyes and Jessalyn Villicana to grab a 4-1 lead after four. The Eagles rallied immediately, plating three runs in the fifth off RBI from Kurtz and Hayes, but then Westcliff punched back with a pinch-hit RBI hit from Iyari Ramirez to go back ahead 5-4 after five.

The Eagles threw out a second potential run in that inning to keep the deficit at one, and that proved pivotal as Avila staged yet another late rally to earn another win. Ka'Zem Wood drove in Cotton as the tying run in the sixth, and then back-to-back doubles from Hayes and Julia Douglass drove in Maya Richards and Kylie Richards, putting Avila ahead for the first time. Aarilynn Richardson threw a scoreless sixth to earn the win, and Cassie Elliott followed with a scoreless seventh to earn the save, her first as an Eagle, wrapping up a 7-5 victory for the Eagles and a Sunday doubleheader sweep.

The very next day, Avila returned to the same city but a different field to take on Hope International. The Royals are the second team ranked No. 7 in the NAIA poll that the Eagles have faced this season (following Our Lady of the Lake, which began the season at No. 7 but have since moved up to No. 1) and the third nationally-ranked squad on the schedule so far, and the Eagles put in their best performance of the season to earn a win of the highest caliber, and nearly pull off a second one as well.

With All-American starting pitcher Allie Puente toeing the rubber against her, Avila starter Chaunelle Penn turned in by far her best start of the season, five full innings allowing four hits and one earned run, which came off a single from two-hole hitter Jazzy Smith in the third inning. But Avila has flashed a serious power stroke so far this season, and that proved to be the difference against a potent pitcher in Puente.

Chelsea Kurtz started things off by blasting a ball to the left field fence, and then showed off her patented wheels, hightailing it all the way around the bases, beating out an ineffective infield relay to finish off an impressive inside-the-park home run in the third inning. Smith's single in the home half leveled the score, but then Brooke Belflower delivered a pinch-hit solo home run off Puente in the sixth and freshman Hallie Campbell followed suit with one of her own in the seventh to give Avila a 3-1 lead. California native McKayla Cotton entered the circle and tossed two scoreless innings of relief, allowing only two singles, to secure the win for Penn and the save for herself, as Avila upset No. 7 HIU with a 3-1 victory.

It's Avila's first victory over a nationally-ranked opponent since their 6-2 victory over Columbia last season at the inaugural Kansas City Softball Invitational. The Cougars were ranked No. 16 at the time but finished the season cold; the Royals this season are ranked No. 7 and don't appear likely to drop any time soon.

After the exciting win in game one, the Eagles came out swinging in game two. Kurtz led off by beating out an infield single, and two batters later Belflower provided her second home run of the day to get the Eagles off and running. Cotton then doubled and scored on a hit from Samantha Gatica, who drew into the starting lineup in right field. That gave the Eagles an early 3-0 lead, but it didn't last long: three different Eagle errors conspired to help HIU score seven runs over the next three innings to grab a lead for the first time, 7-3.

Once again, the Eagles needed a rally, and once again, the team delivered one. Cashing four runs, Douglass drove in one in the fifth and then Myra Megli blasted her first homer as an Eagle, part of a three-hit day for the Eagle catcher, to lead off the seventh inning and make it 7-5. Now down by only two, Douglass and Emily Branson both singled, chasing starter Grace Craig from the game with one out in the seventh. A productive out moved both runners up a base, and up stepped Chelsea Kurtz, who delivered a clutch base knock up the middle to score both runners and tie the game at seven apiece.

Branson keyed an inning-ending double play at shortstop to keep the Royals scoreless in the home half and send the game into extra innings. With the international tiebreaker rules in effect, the Eagles had the go-ahead run placed on second but could not score, giving HIU the chance to win the game. After a sacrifice bunt to move that runner to third, the Eagles took a calculated risk by walking the next two hitters to load the bases with only one out, setting up a potential force at any base. It was a shrewd move, but the gamble didn't pay off: Royal cleanup hitter Alyssa Castaneda put the ball in play and Avila was unable to get the out at home, and Arely Coronado hustled home to score the winning run, lifting HIU to a nail-biting 8-7 win and a series split with the upstart Eagles.

Avila will continue its eight-game trip through California with a pair of games against (RV) Vanguard on Tuesday, and two more games against Menlo on Thursday. All the action will begin at 2 PM central time, noon local time; for details on how to watch and follow along, stay tuned to avilaathletics.com and Avila Athletics on social media.