IRVINE, Calif. -- The Biola softball program couldn't have asked for a better start to its first trip to the NCAA postseason, winning its second game in as many days at the NCAA West Regional to move into the championship round with a 9-0 win over Hawai`i Hilo in six innings behind another strong pitching performance for Paige Austin.

Austin threw a three-hit shutout as Biola improved to 21-13 on the season, while the Eagles' bats produced nine runs with 12 base hits. Hawai`i Hilo's record drops to 19-12 with the Vulcans taking their first loss of the postseason after having upset Western Washington and Concordia. They will play again tonight against the winner of No. 1 Concordia and No. 6 Central Washington for a chance to face Biola again on Saturday.

Leah Gonzales started for Hawai`i Hilo and got through the lineup once unscathed, but the Eagles had better at-bats the second time through the lineup. Abie Nowak singled to right center to drive in Ruth Munoz, who reached on a walk, ending the outing for Gonzales. Kayla Neff added another, taking a 2-0 pitch into leftfield to score Jennifer Morinishi for the first of her two RBIs on the day.
 
Nowak started the fifth inning with a single, which was followed by three-consecutive walks to make the score 3-0. Hawai`i Hilo turned a 1-2-3 double play to minimize the damage, but Kaitlyn Hawkins made sure Biola didn’t end the inning without adding to its lead. She entered the game as a pinch hitter and delivered a two-out, two-RBI single through the right side to extend the lead to 5-0.
 
Biola added four more runs in the sixth inning. Again, it was a pinch hitter coming into the game for a two-RBI single. This time it was Raylene Roybal, whose base-hit put the Eagles just three outs away from victory.
 
Austin recorded six strikeouts in the game with two in the second, third and fifth innings each. She only allowed three hits as she earned her 12th win of the season. In the bottom of the sixth inning, Rilee Ruvalcaba scooped up a slow roller down the third-base line and fired to first for the final out of the game.
 
Biola will play the winner of today’s third game, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. The Eagles need just one more win to book their spot in the NCAA Division II National Championships.