Similar Success Story in Second Round

Friday, May 20

Chico, CA

3:00 PM

California Baptist University

41-11

Chico State

35-22

California Baptist

Chico State

Photo by: Lauren Garcia

Similar Success Story in Second Round

5/20/2016 6:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – It may have officially been the visiting team, but California Baptist University enjoyed the home-field advantage in the second round of the NCAA Division II West Regional on Friday at Totman Stadium.

Now a win away from advancing to the West Region championship round, the top-seeded host Lancers defeated Chico State 12-3 in the second-round. The victory looked a lot like their first win from Thursday, as the offense set the tone, with three home runs, and strong pitching down the stretch secured the result.

"We've prided ourselves on being a pitching and defensive team," Coach Gary Adcock said. "I know we have shown the ability to hit the long ball in this tournament, and I like our offense, but when you can roll a team ERA in the 2.30s and field close to .970 you know you're in the game before it starts. Our hitters realize that and they're stepping up to the plate and getting us leads and allowing us to attack the zone."

CBU remains in the winner's bracket and will play Saturday at 11 a.m. It will face the winner of Friday night's game between second-seeded and 26^th-ranked Cal Poly Pomona and No. 5 seed Cal State Monterey Bay. The eighth-ranked Lancers in Division II improve to 41-11. The fourth-seeded and 28^th-ranked Wildcats see their season end at 35-22.

"I think there's an excitement, I've never got a feeling from this team of tightness or nerves," Adcock said. "That's a hurdle we hadn't been able to get past the last couple of years, winning game two [of the regional], and to do it against a quality program like [Chico State] is really special."

There could have been some drama with CBU holding a five-run, 8-3, lead going into the ninth inning, but then Bryce Macy came up. The leadoff and designated hitter did away with whatever dramatics were left when he hit a two-out grand slam in the top of the ninth to cap the scoring for CBU. He wound up 2-for-4 with four runs batted in and three runs scored in the game.

A.J. David and Mark Sanchez both went 3-for-5 in the win for CBU, with Sanchez driving in two runs with two doubles. David homered for the second game in a row and scored three times.

Patrick Gonzales was masterful in relief for the Lancers. He threw 3.1 innings where he allowed just three hits and struck out another to pick up the 10-out save.

Playing as the visiting team, CBU picked right back up where it left off the day before in the top of the first inning and put three runs up on the board. Macy and David got things started with leadoff singles and a walk to Stephen Lohr loaded the bases with no outs.

Antonio Chavarria scored Macy with a sacrifice fly to center field, and Sanchez doubled off the base of the right-field wall to score David and put runners at second and third with one out. It allowed Ryan Williams to sky another fly ball to right and score Lohr to cap the rally.

"For us, being the away team and scoring first was a big deal for us so we could set the tone for the rest of the game," David said.

For the third time in two games, the Lancers hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the third. David and Lohr combined for consecutive solo shots to lead off the inning. Later on, Williams was hit by a pitch and Tyler Johnson scored him with a double into the right-center gap with two outs to increase the lead to 6-0.

"It doesn't surprise me," Adcock said of the CBU nine home runs over the last two games, "we have a lot of doubles. The home runs are kind of excessive right now in the playoffs, but we are up there in doubles in the country. I think the doubles are just carrying a little bit further right now with the playoff adrenaline.

"You kind of build your team around your ballpark, if you don't do that I don't think you're being wise. I do think we have the ability to bunt, steal and hit and run. We have done that and we can do that when we need to, but we also have the ability to take advantage and drive the ball."

Chico State got on board with one run in the bottom of the third, but the Lancers got it back and more in the top of the fourth. Once again, Macy and David set the table with a one-out walk and single. Chavarria laced a two-out, 1-2 single into right field to score Macy. Sanchez then singled into left center to score David and extend the lead to seven, 8-1.

The Wildcats kept coming, scoring twice in the fourth to make it 8-3 and then had a golden opportunity for a long rally when they get their first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh.

Gonzales kept his cool and struck out the next batter with a high fastball and then got a hot shot to third. Lohr fielded the ball cleanly and fired over to Jake Gallaway at second, and he turned it over to Chavarria for the 5-4-3 double play to keep the Lancers up five, 8-3.