CBU Saves Best For Last

Saturday, February 17

Riverside, Calif.

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

5-1

Colorado Christian

2-5

Colorado Christian

California Baptist

Photo by: Conner Schuh

2/17/2018 3:44:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – There was no doubt California Baptist University was saving something special for its finale with Colorado Christian on Saturday after the Lancers recorded their first shutout and walk-off wins of the season in the first two games of the series.

It came in the form of an offensive outburst made up of a season-high 15 hits and 11 runs in an 11-1 win over the Cougars on Saturday. Six Lancers: Billy Rockefeller, Tommy Bell, John Glenn, Ryan Mota, Luke Navigato and Angelo Capolupo logged multi-hit games, as their team has now won five straight to improve to 5-1, while CCU drops to 2-5.

"We were just sticking to our approach, trying to stay aggressive with the bat and we just got our swings today," said Rockefeller, who got his first start with the Lancers as the leadoff hitter. "We stuck with what we do, we knew we had it in us and our offense played to its potential today."

Jorge Valerio made his first appearance at start at Totman Stadium on Saturday. The true freshman gave up just three hits, no runs or walks and struck out four in the first four innings. Andrew Bash struck out three and gave up just one run in 2.2 innings. Ryan Silva also threw a scoreless eighth inning for CBU and Morgan Earman logged a spotless top of the ninth on the mound with two strikeouts.

Rockefeller had a team-high three hits, three runs and a stolen base, while Bell (two runs batted in, two doubles); Glenn (three RBIs); Mota and Navigato (four RBIs) all went 2-for-4 in the game. Capolupo was a perfect 2-for-2 and Ryan Williams (1-2) and Harrison Spohn (1-3, double, two runs) also had hits in the victory.

The Lancers continue their 11-game home stand with a big four-game series versus Colorado Mesa – a top-four team in both NCAA Division II polls – next Thursday through Saturday at Totman Stadium. First pitch for Thursday is at 6 p.m., with Friday's doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m. and Saturday's finale starting at noon. They are the final non-conference games of CBU's season, with PacWest play beginning at home versus Holy Names the following week.

"I think our team is really deep on both sides, pitching and offensively," Rockefeller said. "I think we can do a lot of different things with different guys who can help us win in a variety of ways."

Rockefeller and Bell started the bottom of the first inning with a single and double, respectively. A sacrifice fly from Glenn scored Rockefeller and Mota plated Bell with a line single into center field to give CBU a 2-0 lead right away.

A leadoff single from Glenn and hit by pitch to Mota put two Lancers on with no outs in the third inning, as well. Both came around to score on a two-run single from Navigato after a sacrifice bunt from Williams.

Three more runs on three hits came for CBU in the fourth. A walk to Spohn, Rockefeller single and hit by pitch to Bell loaded the bases with one out in the inning. Glenn scored two with a single through the right side and then a Mota single loaded the bases again with one out. Navigato was then hit by a pitch to give him his third RBI and CBU's seventh run of the game.

A one-out walk to Spohn and Rockefeller single set the table for a two-run double from Bell that made it 9-0 in the bottom of the fifth. An error led to CBU's final two runs in the eighth. Navigato doubled to the left center gap to score that run and then he came around to score on a Capolupo single to right field.