Lancers Finish Off Eagles

Monday, May 8

Irvine, Calif.

3:00 PM

California Baptist University

31-15, 0

Concordia

21-25, 0

Cal Baptist

Concordia, Irvine

Photo by: Jacob Gonzalez

Lancers Finish Off Eagles

5/8/2017 5:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

IRVINE, Calif. – After more than two weeks off from games, it would have been understandable for there to be a little rust for California Baptist University. Instead, the 20^th-ranked Lancers erupted for nine runs over the final four innings to defeat Concordia University of Irvine 9-4 on Monday.

It gave CBU its sixth-straight victory and brought its record to 32-15 and 23-10 in conference this season. The Lancers and Eagles continue their series with a noon doubleheader Tuesday and then play one more time Wednesday at 3 p.m.

Ryan Williams, Tommy Bell and Andrew Bash all collected two base hits on Monday. Williams went 2-for-4, with three runs batted in and a homer and Bash was 2-for-3 with two runs and a home run, while Bell was 2-for-5 with a double.

The Lancers will look to hold onto their top-six spot in the NCAA Division II West Region rankings and qualify for the NCAA postseason for the fourth year in a row. The NCAA Division II playoff selection show will take place Sunday at 7 p.m. Pacific.

CUI scored first and took a 2-0 lead, with a run in the first and second innings. Starting pitcher Andrew Bernstein overcame those first two innings to throw a complete game. The junior retired the side in order in the third, fourth and seventh innings, allowing just three base runners on singles from the third through the eighth.

Down 2-0 through five innings, CBU's offense got going in the sixth. An error and Bash single put runners at the corners with no outs, and a fielder's choice grounder from Luke Navigato got the Lancers on the board, but they were far from done.

CBU took its lead with three runs in the seventh. A one-out walk to DJ Porter, who gave way to pinch runner Zack Norris, sparked the rally. Brian Ruhm doubled into right field and moved to third on a throw home, which was on time but not held onto by the catcher to allow Norris to score and tie the game.

Nick Plaia plated Ruhm with a grounder to second base and Bash hit a solo home run to up the Lancers' lead to 4-2 going into the bottom of the seventh. Two-run homers from Williams and Norris upped CBU's cushion to 8-2 in the eighth.

Bryce Macy started the inning with a single to right field, and Williams promptly hit a two-run homer in the next at-bat. Bell kept the pressure on with a double to left field, and Norris blasted his two-run homer down the left-field line to cap the scoring in the inning.

A leadoff walk to Bash and single from Navigato set the table for a sacrifice fly from Williams in the ninth. Concordia scored two more runs on three hits in the bottom of the ninth, but it was far from enough to overcome the Lancers.