Open In Record Fashion

Friday, February 6

Riverside

6 PM

California Baptist University

1-1

Cal State L.A.

1-1

Cal State L.A.

California Baptist

Photo by: Leigh Ann Lindsey

2/6/2015 9:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Even a top-20 team can feel nerves on its home opener, but 20^th-ranked California Baptist University relaxed with the help of a record-setting crowd on its opening day Friday night at Totman Stadium.

A single-game program record of 760 fans witnessed the Lancers get their groove back against Cal State Los Angeles to the tune of a 7-3 victory.

"It was a great crowd and that definitely gives us energy and gets us fired up," said pitcher Stephen Carajabal of the record crowd. "There were some great fans, a lot of energy and they're really engaged in the game. It was awesome, it really felt like they were behind us."

Both teams moved to 1-1 on the year after CSULA won the opener, 8-2, the night before. It sets up a winner-takes-the-series scenario Saturday, as both teams play their third and final game scheduled with each other this regular season in Los Angeles at 1 p.m.

"I think we were just too nervous or anxious to get there," Antonio Chavarria said. "Coach told us today to play relaxed, play our game, let the preparation play out and don't let the game speed up."

All nine players in the batting lineup logged at least one base hit, as CBU more than doubled the Golden Eagles' output on offense, with 15 hits to seven.

Chavarria enjoyed a big game in the three hole, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and another batted in. Nathan Antoun (two RBIs) and Stephen Lohr both went 2-for-4 for CBU, which enjoyed hits from Andrew Montoya, Andy Crowley, Brian Ruhm, Jake Gallaway, Luke Navigato and Zack Norris.

"I tried to do too much last night – more than I knew I could do," Chavarria said. "Tonight, I just let the game come to me. I knew we were facing a leftie and I just had a different mindset. I had to come in, get on base and we had to get the W."

A pair of leftie junior transfers combined to go the distance on the mound for CBU. Jeremy McDonald – a transfer from Cal State Stanislaus – got the win, throwing five innings in which he logged seven strikeouts and just one earned run. Stephen Carajabal came in at the sixth inning and calmed things down for the Lancers when CSULA attempted to push back into the game.

"There are definitely some nerves in your first outing of the season, but once I found it I was really on cruise control from there," Carajabal said.

The redshirt junior transfer from Yavapai College earned a save after throwing the final four innings, allowing just two hits, no walks and no runs, while striking out four.

"I was locating my fastball pretty well today, it was coming in on the hitters," he said. "They really extend their hands a lot and hit that outside pitch, so for me to locate an inside fastball was really crucial. The breaking ball was snapping off really well, too."

CBU may have come on strong, but it needed to overcome the Golden Eagles taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Montoya jumpstarted the Lancers with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first and then a steal of second with one out.

Chavarria put runners at the corners with a single into right field, while an error at second scored Montoya and a wild pitch plated Chavarria as CBU took a 2-1 edge going into the second inning.

After seeing the Golden Eagles tie things in the third inning, Antoun dealt the biggest blow of the night. The switch-hitter bashed a no-doubter from the right side of the plate over the left field fence to give the Lancers a 4-2 lead after Chavarria drew a leadoff walk.

Singles from Lohr and Ruhm set up a RBI single from true freshman Navigato, who was making the first start of his career at second base. The Lancers saw their 5-2 cushion trimmed to two when Cal State L.A. scratched out another run in the fourth.

A Chavarria single in the bottom of the sixth helped score Crowley, who reached on a two-out single and then stole second. It was Chavarria who also capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Carajabal helped close the book on Cal State L.A., retiring the side in order in both the seventh and eighth innings. It came as no surprise to the Lancers, Chavarria said.

"He's one of our leaders on the mound," Chavarria said. "We knew when he was coming in he was going to shut it down. He just goes out there and gets after hitters."