Down to the Ninth Again

Saturday, February 20

Riverside, Calif.

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

6-4

Colorado Mesa

6-1

Colorado Mesa

California Baptist

Photo by: Conner Schuh

2/20/2016 4:06:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – As it had most of the series, it all came down to one play, and for the second day in a row, that play came in the ninth inning in the series finale between California Baptist University and fourth-ranked Colorado Mesa Saturday.

It appeared the Lancers had escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the ninth on a diving catch in right field from CBU's Brian Ruhm. It looked like it would turn into a double play after the third-base umpire ruled the runner at third had left early, but the three-man umpiring crew conferred and overturned the call, turning the play into a sacrifice fly.

Colorado Mesa came away with a 5-4 lead on the play and it held on to it for the 5-4 win and series victory. On Friday, the Mavericks won game two of the series by the same score on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth.

CMU improves to 6-1 and CBU moves to 6-4 headed into its final non-conference series of the year with Saint Martin's, beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. at Totman Stadium.

It was tightly contested from start to finish Saturday. The Mavericks struck first with two runs in the third, but the Lancers came out ready to respond in the bottom half of the frame.

Walks to Taylor Wetzel and Alec Morabito put two runners on, with a sacrifice bunt from Sheldon Borson moving them into scoring position. Brian Ruhm came up and laced a grounder that appeared headed through the ride side of the infield, but CMU's second baseman made a brilliant diving stop to record an out on the play, with Wetzel scoring easily.

Andrew Montoya extended his hitting streak to all 10 games this season when he sent a hard shot up the middle to score Morabito and tie the game. The two-out rally continued on an Antonio Chavarria single into right and then a perfectly-placed line drive into the left-center gap from Stephen Lohr that cleared the bases and made it 4-4 CBU.

Pitching wise, the Lancers staffed the game with five different hurlers taking the mound and Chavarria getting the start. Patrick Gonzales remained solid out of the bullpen, pitching a team-high four shutout innings in which he allowed four hits, hit a batter and struck out three.

While no Lancer had multiple hits, Ruhm, Jake Gallaway, Morabito and Bryce Macy all notched base hits in the game.