Comeback in the PacWest
2/27/2014 6:32:00 AM | Baseball
CBU improves to 15-0 on the season and 1-0 in the PacWest, while Dixie State falls to 3-9, and 0-1 in conference. The Lancers have now won 24-consecutive games, carrying over their season-ending nine-game streak from 2013.
Trevor Oaks started the game off with two quick, one-two-three innings before the Red Storm's Ty Johnson hit a single into right center field, but Oaks stranded three Dixie runners without allowing a run in the top of the third inning.
With the Red Storm leading 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Blair Moore cracked one over the fence in right center to bring the Lancers within 2-1. Mark Sanchez singled through the right side with Nathan Antoun in scoring position to tie the game at 2 headed into the fifth.
The Lancers took their first lead in the fifth frame. Andrew Montoya started the attack with a single to left before Andy Crowley doubled down the right-field line, scoring Montoya for a 3-2 lead.
Relief pitcher Caleb Dirks entered the game for the Lancers with their lead still intact in the top of the seventh inning. Dirks struck out the first batter out looking, induced a fly out to left-center after an outstretched catch from Jake Arledge.
“We were up by one so I knew I needed to come in there and just throw strikes,” Dirks said. “We had the momentum on our side and when the game got tied up I knew the guys would rally back and get some runs as long as I threw up two zeros in the eighth and ninth.”
The Red Storm bounced back with a run off an error in the top of the seventh inning but the Lancers powered through offensively in the bottom of the inning with three runs driven in by Crowley, Antonio Chavarria and Moore before a Red Storm pitching change. With John Conque now on the mound, Stephen Lohr and Travis Sais were able to move around the bases to bring the Lancers to a five-run lead, 8-3, which they held on to for the remaining one and a half innings.
Dirks ended the game with no hits, one run off a hit by pitch and five strikeouts through three innings, while Oaks had seven strikeouts and held Dixie to five hits and two runs through six innings.
The Lancers' closed out the game with 14 hits and seven runs batted in and three errors.
CBU will look to begin its first PacWest winning streak Thursday when it faces Dixie in a nine-seven doubleheader starting at noon.
