RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist University earned a PacWest series split with Concordia University of Irvine by winning game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 6-2. The Eagles then picked up another comeback win in the finale, 5-3, to share the week's results evenly.
The Lancers move to 18-12, 11-9 in the PacWest and CUI to 11-19, 8-12 in conference going into next week. CBU closes out a 12-game home stand with four games versus Biola. The series begins with 6 p.m. games on Thursday and Friday and then a doubleheader Saturday at noon.
Pitchers
Justin Montgomery and
Logan Rinehart combined to keep Concordia in check in Saturday's opener.
Nick Plaia (2-for-2) and
Ryan Mota (2-for-3) also collected two hits in the game for the Lancers.
CBU jumped out in front first in game one with a three-run third.
Luke Navigato and
Rory Smith started the inning with singles, while a sacrifice bunt from Plaia and ensuing error loaded the bases with no outs.
Kyle Oyama shot a sharp single through the right side to score Navigato, a sacrifice fly to deep left from
Andrew Bash plated Smith and an RBI single from Mota brought Plaia around for the 3-0 lead.
Concordia got on the board with two runs in the fourth, but the Lancers reinstated their three-run lead with a pair of runs in the bottom half. An error and walk put two on for CBU and a sacrifice fly from Smith and two-out RBI single from Plaia made it 5-2 Lancers.
Montgomery logged his second win of the season on the mound by going 5.1 innings in which he allowed seven base runners (four hits, two walks) and struck out seven.
The Lancers had a knack for escaping danger in the game, starting in the first. Concordia loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first. Montgomery got through it unscathed, with a big strikeout and then a rare 1-2-3 double-play grounder ended the inning with no score.
Montgomery stopped another potential Eagles rally in its tracks when he induced another double play after a leadoff single in the fifth. Rinehart logged an 11-out save for CBU, his first of the year, and also danced out of trouble.
Rinehart came onto the mound with one out and a runner at first in the sixth and in two pitches ended the inning with a double play. The Eagles then loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but Rinehart kept them off the board with two-straight strikeouts.
Concordia loaded the bases again with two outs in the eighth, but attempted a bunt that Rinehart fielded easily to record the third out. The sophomore then had little trouble in the ninth to finish the Eagles off.
Tommy Bell led CBU's offense in the series finale. The senior went 2-for-2 with two runs batted in and a run scored to have a hand in all three Lancer runs of the contest.
In the series finale, CBU took a 2-0 lead in the third, thanks to some situational hitting.
Bryce Macy led the inning off when he poked a single into left field. Bell then drove him in with a two-out/strike double to right field. A pair of wild pitches then scored Bell from third.
Bell scored the Lancers' third run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the fifth. An error put
Angelo Capolupo on second and then a sacrifice bunt from Plaia moved him to third with one out for Bell.
Concordia chipped away at its deficit, first with one run in the sixth and then four more runs in the seventh for a 5-3 lead. The Lancers showed no quit and loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Eagles just escaped with the win.
