Run of Success Continues

Friday, March 18

Hilo, Hawaii

3:00 PM

California Baptist University

21-5, 11-1

Hawaii Hilo

3-13, 2-12

California Baptist

UH Hilo

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

Run of Success Continues

3/18/2016 5:29:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

HILO, Hawaii – For the first time in the series, California Baptist University had to play from behind against Hawaii Hilo on Friday.

A late rally kept the Lancers' series sweep intact with a 2-1 PacWest victory over the Vulcans at Wong Stadium. It extends CBU's run of success, as it has won nine straight, 15 of the last 16 and sweeps its fourth series of the season and second in a row.

Overall, the Lancers are 21-5, 11-1 in the PacWest to build on their first-place standing in the conference. UHH is 3-13, 2-12, as CBU island hops from the Big Island to Oahu to take on Hawaii Pacific Tuesday to Thursday.

"We had been swinging the bats well coming into this series, so it was nice to see us win a series with pitching and defense, too," Coach Gary Adcock said. Now, we need a couple days off before we begin another challenge at HPU."

The mystery around the Lancers' fourth starting pitcher continued Friday, with their fifth individual, Justin Montgomery, getting a shot at the role. The true freshman threw the first three innings, giving up three hits, a walk and one run, while striking out two.

Four more pitchers contributed to the win. Travis Booth picked up the win after throwing 4.2 innings where he allowed just four base runners (three hits and a walk) and struck out two. Brody Robinson and Vini Haro each came on to get one out, while Antonio Chavarria earned the save by quickly retiring the final two batters.

Offensively, four Lancers had two hits. Taylor Wetzel, Jake Gallaway and Stephen Lohr all went 2-for-4, and Andrew Montoya was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Leadoff hits in the seventh and eighth helped CBU overcome its deficit. A.J. David started the seventh with a single into right center field, and Zack Norris came on as a pinch runner. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Alec Morabito, and a Wetzel single put runners at the corners. Bryce Macy sacrificed a bunt to the pitcher, scoring Norris to tie the game.

To build on the momentum, Montoya began the eighth with a double off the right-center field wall. Two batters later, Norris came through with the big hit, turning on a pitch and sending it through the right side to score Montoya and give the Lancers their first lead, 2-1.

Hawaii Hilo threatened with a one-out single in the bottom of the eighth, and moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Robinson came on in relief with the pressure on and responded, getting a groundout to shortstop to end the threat.

Haro started the bottom of the ninth with a strikeout. Chavarria came on to continue the trend, striking out the second batter and then ending the game with a fly ball to left field.