FRESNO, Calif. – With the regular season coming to a close, California Baptist University took a big leap toward its first goal this season – a PacWest championship – with a doubleheader sweep on the road at Fresno Pacific on Thursday.
 
Five games remain in the NCAA Division II sixth-ranked Lancers' season after they picked up 5-2 and 6-1 wins in Fresno. Armed with a 36-9, 26-5 in conference record, CBU could sweep the Sunbirds (20-24, 15-15) in the final game of the series Friday at 1 p.m., which would secure it at least a share of the PacWest championship.
 
It would also force those teams still with a slim chance of earning a piece of the crown – Dixie State and Azusa Pacific – to win its final four conference games to keep hope alive.
 
A ninth-inning rally broke a 2-2 tie for good for CBU in Thursday's first game, while a dominant showing from relievers Patrick Gonzales and Brody Robinson slammed the door on any hopes of an FPU win.
 
Gonzales and Robinson combined to retire the final 11 Sunbird batters in the opener. Gonzales threw 2.2 perfect innings of relief and put away all eight batters he faced, with four strikeouts to boot. Brody Robinson closed out the game with three-straight outs in the ninth for his sixth save of the year and second in a row.
 
With FPU's offense tied up after it scored twice in the first, CBU threatened in the seventh through ninth innings and broke through in its final at-bats. The Lancers loaded the bases with one out on three-straight walks in the top of the ninth.
 
A.J. David skied a fly ball just deep enough into center field and Bryce Macy hustled home from third and scored on the sacrifice, as the throw home was off line. CBU was not content with a one-run lead, and got two more runs on an error and then an RBI-bunt single from Brian Ruhm.
 
Another lengthy rally in the fifth led to CBU tying the game, with all the action coming after two outs. Jake Gallaway and Macy sparked the attack with singles into the outfield. Antonio Chavarria then drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases for Stephen Lohr, who smashed a single up the middle to score two.
 
Travis Booth turned in a quality start on the mound in game two for the Lancers. He allowed just one run in the first inning on two hits, two walks and struck out four.
 
CBU got out to its best start of the series in game three of the series to end the doubleheader Thursday. Macy led the game off with a single into center and moved to second on a passed ball and scored on an error. David made it a 2-0 CBU lead after the top of the first when he drove home another unearned run with a single up the middle.
 
Lohr restored the Lancers' two-run lead, 3-1, with a solo homer to start the third after FPU scored one in the bottom of the first.  
 
CBU added more insurance with two runs in the sixth. Andrew Montoya drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Zack Norris and Macy scored on a single into center. Chavarria scored the fifth run of the game with a single into shallow left.
 
David capped the scoring with a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning, securing the 6-1 victory.