Liebing the Yard

Saturday, February 28

Riverside

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

13-4, 2-1

Holy Names

2-11, 1-2

Holy Names

California Baptist

Photo by: Lauren Garcia

2/28/2015 5:55:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Through a game and a half of Saturday's doubleheader, California Baptist University was missing that one big hit against Holy Names at John C. Funk Stadium.

It cost the Lancers the first game of the day to the Hawks, 1-0, but they found what they needed late in the four-game series finale to overcome a two-run deficit and grab a 3-2 victory. It delivered CBU the series win over HNU three games to one, as it improved to 14-4, 3-1 in the PacWest and the Hawks moved to 2-12, 1-3 to open conference.

"With it being the first series of conference, it showed how much our team can bounce back," second baseman Jacque Lopez said of CBU's comeback in the second game. "A lot of the girls here haven't played conference games before, so showing we could do that was huge."

Lopez helped even Saturday's second game at 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth after Holy Names struck first in the top of the fourth. Jenna Lieber provided the game-winner with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth after she was brought on as a pinch hitter.

"At the end of the day, we want a team victory and that's what that was," Lieber said. "It's great to hit a home run in general, but to get the hit to help your team win is the greatest thing ever. I couldn't feel more blessed."

Jordan Mowatt and Savannah Miller led off the bottom of the fifth with singles and Krista Mann reached on a hard-hit bill to third that was bobbled, allowing her to reach and CBU to load the bases with no outs.

HNU threatened to end the inning by inducing two outs, which put Lopez in a tough position. The junior rose to the occasion and cashed in Mowatt and Miller with a line shot through the middle and into center field to knot the score.

"We just told the team to put the ball in play, make them make tough plays," Coach Bill Baber said. "Jacque did a good job in a tough situation where we went from no outs to two outs. That's a pressure spot that she really came through on."

It was Lieber's turn to come up clutch in the bottom of the sixth, as she blasted a screaming line drive over the fence in right-center.

"I told her before she went up, 'Hey, you get on, we'll get a pinch runner in, move her around and bring her in,' but she saw it and hit a shot," Baber said. "It was another clutch hit.

"She wanted to be aggressive, and she saw it. The last thing I said to her was 'see it and hit it,' and she did that, just like she does in BP."

Miller went a team-best 4-for-6 on the day, while Mann and Lopez had base hits in both games. Lopez was 3-for-3 in the finale.

Kayla Hatch logged a complete-game victory in Saturday's finale, scattering eight hits and three walks. The day's opener was a pitcher's dual between CBU's Loie Kesterson and Holy Names' Vanessa Pulido. Kesterson allowed four hits, two walks and one run in a complete-game performance, but the one run was enough for a 1-0 Hawks victory.

In the first game, the Lancers outhit HNU 7-4 but left eight runners on base in the loss. Miller led CBU with a 2-for-3 performance in the game, while Mann, Kailey Willingham, Lopez, Tayler Castro and Nicole Hennessey had base hits in the game. Miller and Lopez both doubled in the loss.

The Lancers have just one day to prepare for its next PacWest game, as Notre Dame de Namur visits John C. Funk Stadium Monday for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.