California Baptist University
Cal State San Marcos
QUELLING THE REBELLION
2/23/2007 8:00:00 AM | Softball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- A little bit of variety never hurt anyone.
After blasting a trio of homers in a, 12-1, victory over NCAA Div. II Dixie State, the NAIA's No. 1-ranked California Baptist blanked Cal State San Marcos, 1-0, thanks to a no-hit effort from Amy Thomas.
The Lancers enter tomorrow's as the top-seeded team in the Ringor So-Cal Smash, as they improve to 11-1 to start the season. CBU squares off against Southern Oregon at 11 a.m. tomorrow morning after Dixie State and Cal State San Marcos open play at 9 a.m. The losers of the respective games will match up at 1 p.m. for the consolation game, and play will conclude with a pairing of the winners of the 2 early games, starting at 3 p.m.
With 2 runners on and 2 runs already plated in the second inning of CBU's game against Dixie State, Nikki Lowe cracked the first of 3 Lancer homers in the game, hers scoring 3 runs to put the Lancers ahead, 5-0 after just 2 frames.
Two-out walks to Kelly Maconachy and Sara Goforth came back in a hurry to haunt the Rebels in the third inning, as Chantal Millard blasted a 3-run shot to dead-centerfield, stretching the California Baptist lead to 8-0 headed to the fourth inning.
Following a leadoff single to Geanie Jenkins in the fourth frame, the Lancers again capitalized on a pair of gift baserunners, as Shawna Rainwater and Karina Slauenwhite were each hit with a pitch to load the bases. Sarah Hurlbut, who is hitting .333 on the year, then delivered with a grand slam to make it a 12-0 ballgame.
The Rebels did their only damage to Candice Thomas (5-1) in the fifth inning, when she hit a batter with the bases loaded to surrender her only run of the game. She picked up the win after going 5 innings, allowing one earned run on 3 hits and 3 walks. Thomas struck out 2 Rebels on the afternoon.
Amy Thomas allowed just 3 Cal State San Marcos batters to reach base in a no-hitter, as the Lancers polished off their afternoon with a 1-0 victory. Thomas improved to 6-0 on the campaign with 7 shutout innings, as she allowed no hits issued a pair of walks and hit a batter in the win. She fanned 7 Cougars in the effort, as Millard doubled in Kelly Maconachy in the third inning for CBU's only run of the ballgame.
Melissa Lerno (2-7) allowed just one earned run on 4 hits and 4 walks, while striking out a pair of Lancers in the tough-luck loss. Haley Schumers allowed 8 runs (6 earned) on 5 hits and 4 walks, as she struck out 5 to take the loss for Dixie State and drop to 8-4.
