LA MIRADA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University split a PacWest Conference softball doubleheader against Biola for a second day, falling 2-1 in the opener and coming back to grab a 3-2 win in the nightcap at Freedom Field.
 
The Sharks (14-13, 8-6) got two RBIs from junior Noel "Tita" Saunders of Pearl City, Hawai'i/Pearl City in taking the win from the Eagles (13-12, 8-8), then got a pair of groundouts with a runner a third to hold on for the win in the seventh. Biola got a walkoff run in the seventh of the first game for the 2-1 win.
 
Sophomore Poliahu Aina of Kailua, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Kapalama swung the big stick for the day, collecting two hits in each game to post a 4-for-7 afternoon that included a double, a triple, an RBI and a run scored. Saunders had two RBIs in the second game, with her only hit an RBI double in the seventh that put HPU up 3-1.
 
Senior Malia Torres of Danville, Calif./Monte Vista (6-6) evened her record in the circle with the win in game two, posting another complete game allowing two runs on eight hits with three walks. Freshman Taylor Thompson of Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle (8-7) took the game one loss in her team leading 13th complete game, allowing two runs on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
 
It was another tense afternoon with Biola, with all four games in this series settled by one run because of action in the seventh.
 
In game one on Tuesday, Biola opened with a run off an RBI triple in the second, but the Sharks countered in the top of the third with a single and Aina's RBI ground-rule double to tie the game at one.
 
That's where it stayed until the bottom of the seventh, when the Eagles got three straight singles with one out, then after a second out got an RBI single from Allie Beck to win the game 2-1.
 
Paige Austin went the distance for BU, allowing one run on five hits with nine strikeouts.
 
In the second contest, Biola struck again first in the bottom of the third with a sacrifice fly.
 
HPU got the run back in the top of the fourth with an RBI single from freshman Neva Poulin of Corona, Calif./Norco to tie the game at 1-1.
 
In the fifth, a leadoff double by freshman Tiari Hernandez of Waipahu, Hawai'i/Pearl City set the table for an RBI fielder's choice from Saunders to score Hernandez for the go-ahead run.
 
In the top of the seventh, a double by junior Brandi Leong of Wahiawa, Hawai 'i/Leilehua was followed by the RBI double from Saunders for the 3-1 lead. The Eagles retaliated with a double and an RBI single to pull within 3-2 and advance a runner to third. But Torres got the next two Eagles to ground out and preserve the victory for the Sharks.
 
BU's Raylene Roybal (4-6) took the loss, hurling allowing three runs, two earned, on 10 hits with two strikeouts.
 
The Sharks continue the southern California portion of their road trip on Friday when they visit Azusa Pacific for the first of two doubleheaders. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. HST (4 p.m. PDT) at the Cougar Softball Complex.