California Baptist University
19-13, 12-10
Biola
21-11, 13-9
CBU Make Most of Playoff Atmosphere
4/6/2018 8:59:00 PM | Baseball
RIVERSIDE, Calif. -- A playoff atmosphere filled Totman Stadium and it brought out the best in California Baptist University Friday in a PacWest doubleheader with Biola.
The Lancers won both games versus the Eagles in very different ways, with a 23-6 win in the opener and 3-2 victory in the finale. CBU improves to 20-13, 13-10 in conference and Biola falls to 21-12, 13-10.
"It was really energizing, it was an exciting one and definitely a playoff atmosphere," said Dylan Stowell, who threw a complete game in the one-run win in the nightcap. "This one gets the train going a little bit and lets us know we can compete with anybody. This is good momentum moving forward."
The 23 runs were the most the Lancers have scored and the Eagles have given up this season. The series comes to a close with a noon game on Saturday at Totman.
CBU made a statement in the first game of the day and second of the series with the 23-6 win over Biola. The Lancers got three-hit games from Luke Navigato and John Glenn and two-hit performances from Andrew Bash, Tommy Bell, Ryan Mota and Angelo Capolupo.
Glenn homered, doubled, drove in six runs and scored twice, while Navigato logged five runs batted in, four more scored, a double and home run. Mota hit a grand slam and scored twice after coming on as a pinch hitter. Nick Plaia also hit his first homer of the year in the game.
Andrew Bash (four runs), Ryan Williams and Kyle Oyama both had two RBIs in the game, as well.
The Lancers came out swinging with a three-run first inning in game one, but also finished strong by scoring 19 runs over their final four innings. CBU put its first three runners on with singles from Navigato, Bash and a hit by pitch to Plaia, with Bash's single scoring Navigato.
Glenn then scored two with a two-out single to right center to make it 3-0 through one inning. Glenn notched his third RBI after he combined for consecutive singles with Bell in the third. It got one run back for the Lancers after Biola scored two in the top half, making it 4-2.
The Lancers sent eight batters to the plate and scored four runs in the fifth. CBU put its first three runners on thanks to a hit by pitch, walk and RBI single from Bash. Williams drove in the second run of the inning with a sacrifice fly to right field before Oyama plated the last two runs of the inning with a pinch-hit, two-out single to left to make it 8-2.
Biola kept on coming and scored two in the sixth and seventh innings, but the Lancers never let up and responded each and every time. Plaia hit a solo homer to left in the sixth and then Glenn and Navigato hit two and three-run bombs, respectively, in the seventh to push CBU's cushion to 14-6.
CBU saved its best for last and scored nine runs on five hits in the bottom of the eighth. Thirteen batters came to the plate in the inning but Mota landed the big blow with a grand slam homer. Mota actually had two hits in the inning with a single earlier on, as well. Capolupo also had an RBI single, Navigato a two-run double and Williams an RBI triple in the frame.
In Friday's one-run victory, Stowell struck out nine and gave up just four hits and one walk in CBU's first complete game of the year.
The Lancers' offense spotted Stowell a 3-0 lead with a trio of runs in the third. Three doubles from DJ Porter, Bryce Macy (RBI) and Luke Navigato (RBI) scored two of those runs, while a fielder's choice grounder from Bell plated the third run of the frame.
"We got ahead early in this one and I was trying to go pitch-by-pitch," Stowell said. "For me, it doesn't matter if the score is 19-2 or 3-2, I am just trying to go a pitch at a time.
"I felt like I could throw my fastball on both sides of the plate and I got my slider going as the game went on."
Biola did not let up and hit solo home runs in the fourth and sixth innings. Each time, it only seemed to inspire Stowell, as he retired at least the next three batters he faced each time.
When the Eagles hit a one-out homer in the fourth to make it 3-1, Stowell ended the inning with two quick outs. He then retired the first batter he faced in the fifth to help him easily overcome a one-out single in the inning.
"I wasn't going to get beat on a solo homer," Stowell said. "Guys are going to poke a ball every once in a while, but as long as you're limiting the free bases and hit by pitches a solo homer isn't going to beat you."
Biola looked to get some momentum going with a lead-off solo homer in the sixth, but Stowell struck out the next three batters he faced to the end the inning with CBU in front 3-2. Stowell then threw a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a grounder to second and two strikeouts ending things.
"Coach asked me if I wanted [to go back out] and I said, 'Absolutely,'" Stowell said. "I felt like I was rested enough and had enough left in the tank to get it done."
Check out Stowell's full post-game comments from CBULancers on Facebook below:
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stowell, Dylan (3-2)
L: Haccou, Wyatt (3-3)
Batting:
HR: Portaro, Jacob 1 ; Largusa, Jerron 1
RBI: Portaro, Jacob 1 ; Largusa, Jerron 1
SH: Knapp, Phil 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Portaro, Jacob 1 ; Largusa, Jerron 1
SB: Perez, Ricky 1
Batting:
2B: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Porter, D.J. 1 ; Macy, Bryce 1
RBI: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Bell, Tommy 1 ; Macy, Bryce 1
SH: Capolupo, Angelo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Porter, D.J. 1 ; Macy, Bryce 1
SB: Bell, Tommy 1
