Friday, April 8
Riverside, Calif.
3:00 PM
California Baptist University
29-7, 19-3
7
vs
4
Concordia
19-20, 15-11
1st innning1
2nd innning2
3rd innning3
4th innning4
5th innning5
6th innning6
7th innning7
8th innning8
9th innning9
RunsR
HitsH
ErrorsE
Concordia
0
2
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
7
1
California Baptist
4
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
X
7
7
2
Photo by: Nyck Yashiro
CBU Extends Lead With Sweep
4/8/2016 9:18:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Far from ideal weather conditions forced California Baptist University to win by any means necessary in a doubleheader with Concordia University of Irvine at Totman Stadium. A walk-off hit from Mark Sanchez secured the Friday sweep for the Lancers on scores of 7-4 and 6-5.
"This is my first walk-off, winning hit here," Sanchez said. "It feels great, there's no better feeling. It was a team win and I was just happy I could pick my team up."
There was even better news for CBU, as it widened its lead in the PacWest standings. The Lancers entered Friday with a 1.5-game lead in the race for the conference crown and then saw second-place Dixie State lose both games in a doubleheader at Point Loma.
CBU improved to 30-7, 20-3 in conference to extend its lead over the Red Storm (28-8, 16-6) to three-and-a-half games. Concordia dropped to 19-21, 15-12 on the year. The series finale between CBU and the Eagles is scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. start Saturday.
"We are just focused on taking care of business and doing what we do," Sanchez said. "We feel like if we do what we can do, there's no one who can beat us."
It was very close to being a doubleheader split between the Lancers and Eagles, though. CBU was down its final strike on two occasions in the final inning of the final game.
Tyler Johnson led off the frame with a single, but two outs followed to dim CBU's hopes. Stephen Lohr worked a full-count walk to keep it going and another free pass to Antonio Chavarria loaded the bases for Sanchez. The junior fell into a 1-2 hole but never let up, slicing the next pitch into shallow center to score two runs for the 6-5 win.
"The inning right before I came up, coach challenged me," Sanchez said. "He told me I was too much in the air and challenged me to do what I do best – hit it on a line the other way. I really tried to stay positive in that moment."
Sanchez (3-for-7, three runs batted in) and Johnson (3-for-5) both had a team-high three hits for CBU. Lohr (2-for-5, three runs, two RBIs), Brian Ruhm (2-for-6) and Chavarria (2-for-7) had multi-hit games, as well.
In addition, John Taurinsky, Bryce Macy and DJ Porter each were a perfect 1-for-1 at the plate for the Lancers.
Concordia controlled most of the nightcap before Sanchez' walk-off winner. The Eagles scored the first three runs in the first three innings, but CBU knotted the score in the bottom of the third on a two-run single from Ruhm and RBI base hit from Lohr. Kyle Oyama and Alec Morabito laid the groundwork for the Lancers in the third, with a leadoff walk and bunt single.
Each time the home team scored, though, CUI seemed to have an answer. The Eagles went back up 4-3 with a run in the fourth. Lohr stayed hot with a solo homer to the opposite field in the bottom of the fifth, but Concordia scored again in the sixth to create the dramatic moment for Sanchez.
"It was just a team win, everyone picked each other up and stayed positive," Sanchez said.
It was the Lancers who took control of the opener, with seven runs in the first two innings, while steady rain pelted Totman. Chavarria, A.J. David, Sanchez and Taylor Wetzel all drove in runs for a 4-0 CBU lead in the first.
After giving up two runs in the second, the Lancers built their cushion up to five runs, 7-2, in the bottom half of the inning. Porter, Chavarria and David all drove in a run to cap the scoring for CBU.
"This is my first walk-off, winning hit here," Sanchez said. "It feels great, there's no better feeling. It was a team win and I was just happy I could pick my team up."
There was even better news for CBU, as it widened its lead in the PacWest standings. The Lancers entered Friday with a 1.5-game lead in the race for the conference crown and then saw second-place Dixie State lose both games in a doubleheader at Point Loma.
CBU improved to 30-7, 20-3 in conference to extend its lead over the Red Storm (28-8, 16-6) to three-and-a-half games. Concordia dropped to 19-21, 15-12 on the year. The series finale between CBU and the Eagles is scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. start Saturday.
"We are just focused on taking care of business and doing what we do," Sanchez said. "We feel like if we do what we can do, there's no one who can beat us."
It was very close to being a doubleheader split between the Lancers and Eagles, though. CBU was down its final strike on two occasions in the final inning of the final game.
Tyler Johnson led off the frame with a single, but two outs followed to dim CBU's hopes. Stephen Lohr worked a full-count walk to keep it going and another free pass to Antonio Chavarria loaded the bases for Sanchez. The junior fell into a 1-2 hole but never let up, slicing the next pitch into shallow center to score two runs for the 6-5 win.
"The inning right before I came up, coach challenged me," Sanchez said. "He told me I was too much in the air and challenged me to do what I do best – hit it on a line the other way. I really tried to stay positive in that moment."
Sanchez (3-for-7, three runs batted in) and Johnson (3-for-5) both had a team-high three hits for CBU. Lohr (2-for-5, three runs, two RBIs), Brian Ruhm (2-for-6) and Chavarria (2-for-7) had multi-hit games, as well.
In addition, John Taurinsky, Bryce Macy and DJ Porter each were a perfect 1-for-1 at the plate for the Lancers.
Concordia controlled most of the nightcap before Sanchez' walk-off winner. The Eagles scored the first three runs in the first three innings, but CBU knotted the score in the bottom of the third on a two-run single from Ruhm and RBI base hit from Lohr. Kyle Oyama and Alec Morabito laid the groundwork for the Lancers in the third, with a leadoff walk and bunt single.
Each time the home team scored, though, CUI seemed to have an answer. The Eagles went back up 4-3 with a run in the fourth. Lohr stayed hot with a solo homer to the opposite field in the bottom of the fifth, but Concordia scored again in the sixth to create the dramatic moment for Sanchez.
"It was just a team win, everyone picked each other up and stayed positive," Sanchez said.
It was the Lancers who took control of the opener, with seven runs in the first two innings, while steady rain pelted Totman. Chavarria, A.J. David, Sanchez and Taylor Wetzel all drove in runs for a 4-0 CBU lead in the first.
After giving up two runs in the second, the Lancers built their cushion up to five runs, 7-2, in the bottom half of the inning. Porter, Chavarria and David all drove in a run to cap the scoring for CBU.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stowell, Dylan (8-0)
L: Orellana, Collin (4-3)
S: Robinson, Brody (3)
Batting:
2B: Bornhop, John 1
RBI: Nielsen, Spencer 1 ; Leite, Tino 1 ; Thompson, Joey 1
SH: Holland, Hunter 1
SF: Leite, Tino 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Barker, Brett 1 ; Whiteaker, Chad 1 ; Bornhop, John 1 ; Nielsen, Spencer 1
HBP: Land, Ryan 1 ; Holland, Hunter 1
PO: Nielsen, Spencer 1
Batting:
2B: Sanchez, Mark 1
RBI: Porter, D.J. 1 ; Chavarria, Antonio 2 ; David, A.J. 2 ; Sanchez, Mark 1 ; Wetzel, Taylor 1
SH: Williams, Ryan 1 ; Morabito, Alec 1
SF: David, A.J. 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Williams, Ryan 1 ; Porter, D.J. 2 ; Lohr, Stephen 1 ; Chavarria, Antonio 1 ; Sanchez, Mark 1 ; Gallaway, Jake 1
SB: Wetzel, Taylor 1
CS: Sanchez, Mark 1
HBP: Williams, Ryan 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
1
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
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