Turning Tables on the Saints

Thursday, February 25

Riverside, Calif.

6:00 PM

California Baptist University

7-4

Saint Martin's

3-4

Saint Martin's

California Baptist

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

Turning Tables on the Saints

2/25/2016 9:24:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Coming into a series against a dangerous offensive foe, California Baptist University turned the tables on Saint Martin's to open things up Thursday night at Totman Stadium.

In its final non-conference set of the season, CBU's offense erupted for 15 hits in a 10-2 win over the Saints. Six players logged multi-hit games for the Lancers, who improve to 7-4 and drop SMU's record to 3-4 this year. The series continues with a nine-and-nine inning doubleheader Friday in Riverside starting at 3 p.m. The four-game set concludes Saturday at noon.

Saint Martin's came into this week hitting .346 as a team, but was limited to just five hits Thursday. CBU's offense stole the show, with reigning PacWest Player of the Year Antonio Chavarria grabbing the spotlight with a 4-for-5 performance that saw him finish a triple shy of a cycle.

"I just slowed it down. In practice this week, I just made a few adjustments at the plate," said Chavarria, who collected two singles, a double, a two-run homer, three runs batted in and two more runs in the game. "My main focus was to stay back and if I got runners on, my job was to bring them in. Thankfully, I got plenty of swings tonight and helped us get the W."

Zack Norris (2-for-5, RBI, run); Stephen Lohr (2-for-4, RBI, run); Mark Sanchez (2-for-5, RBI, run); Brian Ruhm (2-for-4, two runs) and Jake Gallaway (2-for-4, RBI) each logged two hits in the win. Ruhm, Norris and Lohr all doubled in the game, as well.

"We put hits back to back," Chavarria said of the offense. "Everyone really contributed today, that's what it should look like. We aren't there yet, but if we string them together like that, it's going to be good."

Tyson Miller picked up his second win of the year, with six strong innings in his fourth start on the mound for CBU. He allowed just three hits, two walks, one run and struck out seven. True freshman Seth Kaneen made his collegiate debut out of the bullpen and closed things out in the ninth. The left-hander struck out two and did not allow a base runner in one inning of work.

"We knew they were offensive, but we had our No. 1 [Miller]," Chavarria said. "We had all the confidence they weren't going to be able to hit off him. We only needed two or three runs for him; luckily, today we put up 10 and it was plenty."

Two errors and two hits got CBU on the board in the bottom of the second inning. An SMU error started the threat and Ruhm's double escalated things. John Taurinsky got the scoring going with a sacrifice fly into center field, and a two-out Gallaway single on a 2-2 count made it a 2-0 Lancer advantage.

Chavarria's two-run bomb to right field would make it a 4-1 cushion in the third. Zack Norris added to the insurance with a beautiful bunt single down the third-base line in the fourth. Alec Morabito plated two more Lancers with a two-out single through the right side in the fifth for a comfortable 7-1 edge.

There would be a hit in every inning but the sixth for CBU. Sanchez collected his RBI with a 1-2 single through the left side in the seventh. Consecutive two-out hits from Chavarria and Lohr, with the final going for two bases, capped the scoring at 10-2 in the eighth.