LA MIRADA, Calif.—In a game with ebb and flow aplenty, #1 seed Concordia outlasted #2 Biola 6-3 in the winner’s game on Wednesday in the Pacific West Conference Softball Championships.

The win vaults Concordia into Thursday’s title game(s), giving them the rest of Wednesday off. Biola will now play at 5 pm to stay alive, playing the winner of this afternoon’s game between Jessup and Hawaii Hilo.

Today, Concordia scored three times in the fifth and two more times in the seventh to rally back from a 3-1 deficit. After they regained the lead, they relied on relief pitcher Kailey Estes, who retired the final ten batters she faced to secure the win.

Earlier, Biola threatened in a big way, but without scoring. They loaded the bases in the first and third innings, but each time CUI pitcher Kacie Gossett was able to work out of the jams.

Meanwhile, the Golden Eagles got on the board first when Serena Velez doubled home Kaliya Yco in the second. That 1-0 lead held until the fourth inning when the Eagles finally broke through.

Jackie Ibarra had an RBI-single and Lillianna Garcia doubled home two runs to give the home team a 3-1 lead, chasing starter Gossett from the game.

CUI went back to work on offense. Maddie Cortez started the three-run fifth with a double, and Audrey Robles and Morgan Kneubuhler drove home runners with base hits to take a 4-3 lead. The Golden Eagles would add two more in the seventh, with the big blow an RBI-double off the bat of Caitlynn Campbell.

Meanwhile, Estes settled in. She entered the game with the bases loaded and no one out in the fifth. She gave up a couple of hits, but then settled in and retired the side in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

“I think she loves the pressure,” said head coach Crystal Rosenthal of Estes. “She really stepped up big for us.

“The whole team responded well to the pressure and the obstacle of being down. It’s always tough against Biola and we got this one but now we have to rest up and be ready for whomever is next tomorrow.”