On Friday at CSUSM Softball Field, Brenna Sandberg's pitching and Alyssa Dronenburg's hitting led Cougar softball in game one to a 3-1 victory over Biola University, and Kimi Villalpando's 4 RBI propelled the squad to a come-from-behind 6-4 win in game two.

The sweep improves #20-ranked CSUSM to 12-6 this season.  Biola falls to 12-10.

It's a pair of big wins over a quality opponent for the Cougars, who, aside from a lapse in the second inning of game two, looked very good on the day.

Game one was dominated by Sandberg, who through six innings had allowed just one baserunner.  She ended up going the distance, striking out ten batters while surrendering just one unearned run on two hits and one walk to pick up her 10^th win of the season.

The offense came from Dronenburg, who led off the fourth inning by lacing a ball over the fence in right-center to put her team up 1-0.  It's her team-leading sixth home run of the season.

From there, CSUSM would pick up an insurance run in the fifth, with Elizabeth Bush scoring on a wild pitch following a base hit and an Alicia Ingram double.  The Cougars would tack on another in the sixth, with red-hot Erica Coelho leading off with a single, advancing to third on a Ciera Ashman double, and scoring on a solid Shanti Poston single up the middle.

The 3-1 margin would hold, as Sandberg worked through a little trouble in the seventh to preserve the victory.

Game two would require some perseverance, but the Cougars rose to the challenge.  Biola played small ball in the second, taking advantage of a Cougar defense that committed three errors and made some questionable decisions to take an early 4-0 lead.

But CSUSM responded immediately, cutting it to 4-3 in the bottom of the frame as Villalpando delivered a big two-RBI single that plated Coelho and Ashman, and Ingram then singled in Villalpando.

And in the third, the Cougars would take their first lead of the contest.  Coelho continued to mash the ball, doubling to lead off the inning.  Ashman drew a walk, and a base hit by Poston loaded the bases.  That brought up Villalpando again, and once again she knocked a two-RBI single right up the middle to give CSUSM a 5-4 lead.

That score would hold for most of the contest, as Sandberg righted the ship on the mound and the defense settled in.  In the bottom of the sixth, Lauren Nelson drilled a solo home run to push the lead to 6-4.  Sandberg would finish it off, as Poston made a nice leaping catch at shortstop to record the game's final out.

Sandberg improves to an impressive 11-3 on the season.

CSUSM will be back at home on Saturday to host Bethany University for a double-header starting at noon.