Friday, May 18
Azusa, Calif.
8:30 PM
California Baptist University
34-18
8
vs
9
UC San Diego
40-15
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
UC San Diego
0
0
1
0
0
0
6
1
1
9
5
2
California Baptist
6
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
8
8
3
Photo by: Andrew Shortall
CBU Just Off In Second Upset Bid
5/19/2018 12:05:00 AM | Baseball
AZUSA, Calif. – After a 15-inning playoff opener, resiliency was key for California Baptist University again when it went for another upset over third-seeded and 14th-ranked UC San Diego on Friday night.
A breakout game for true freshman Harrison Spohn, quality start on the mound from Andrew Bash and hot start gave the fifth-seeded Lancers a chance to win it. The Tritons unfortunately scored eight runs over the final three innings for a 9-8 win at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Baseball Complex.
CBU moves to 34-18 this season and will face top-seeded and 17th-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m. The winner of that game will go on to face UC San Diego (39-15) at 7 p.m. that night with a trip to championship Monday on the line.
Offensively, CBU outperformed the Tritons with an 8-5 edge in hits, but UC San Diego capitalized on three uncharacteristic and costly Lancer errors in the game. Spohn provided half of CBU's six runs with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and went 2-for-3 overall with two runs scored and a double.
John Glenn stayed hot in the playoffs by going 2-for-5 with a run batted in and scored for CBU, as well. Bash turned in a quality seven innings on the mound for the Lancers. He allowed just three hits, three walks, two earned runs and struck out eight.
CBU could not have gotten out to a much better start against the Tritons. Bash was perfect through the first two innings on the mound, while the Lancers erupted for six runs in the bottom of the first playing as the home team.
An error on a hard-hit ball to short from Luke Navigato opened the flood gates, and pressure built after D.J. Porter drew a full-count walk right after. One-out singles from Tommy Bell, Glenn and Ryan Williams scored the first three runs of the game and left two on base. Spohn promptly cleared the bases with his first career home run to the deepest part of the park in dead center.
UC San Diego got on the board in the third, with the help of a single, walk and error. Porter limited the damage with an outfield assist from right to third right after the error.
The Lancers extended their lead back out to six in the bottom of the sixth. Spohn led off the inning with a double to right field, took third on a deep fly ball to center from Bryce Macy and then scored easily on a sacrifice fly to right center from Angelo Capolupo.
The Tritons threw the first six innings out the window and forced a whole new ball game when they tied things up with six runs in the top of the seventh. Four of those runs were unearned, as UCSD was aided by a crucial error in the inning.
CBU remained resilient and scored in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-7 lead. An error and hit by pitch put the Lancers' first two batters on in the frame, while a one-out single from Glenn loaded the bases. Williams was then hit by a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run.
UC San Diego came right back and forced another tie in the eighth on a walk, single and fielder's choice, and then took its first lead of the game, 9-8, on a solo home run from Zander Clarke in the top of the ninth.
A breakout game for true freshman Harrison Spohn, quality start on the mound from Andrew Bash and hot start gave the fifth-seeded Lancers a chance to win it. The Tritons unfortunately scored eight runs over the final three innings for a 9-8 win at Azusa Pacific's Cougar Baseball Complex.
CBU moves to 34-18 this season and will face top-seeded and 17th-ranked Cal State Monterey Bay in an elimination game on Saturday at 11 a.m. The winner of that game will go on to face UC San Diego (39-15) at 7 p.m. that night with a trip to championship Monday on the line.
Offensively, CBU outperformed the Tritons with an 8-5 edge in hits, but UC San Diego capitalized on three uncharacteristic and costly Lancer errors in the game. Spohn provided half of CBU's six runs with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first and went 2-for-3 overall with two runs scored and a double.
John Glenn stayed hot in the playoffs by going 2-for-5 with a run batted in and scored for CBU, as well. Bash turned in a quality seven innings on the mound for the Lancers. He allowed just three hits, three walks, two earned runs and struck out eight.
CBU could not have gotten out to a much better start against the Tritons. Bash was perfect through the first two innings on the mound, while the Lancers erupted for six runs in the bottom of the first playing as the home team.
An error on a hard-hit ball to short from Luke Navigato opened the flood gates, and pressure built after D.J. Porter drew a full-count walk right after. One-out singles from Tommy Bell, Glenn and Ryan Williams scored the first three runs of the game and left two on base. Spohn promptly cleared the bases with his first career home run to the deepest part of the park in dead center.
UC San Diego got on the board in the third, with the help of a single, walk and error. Porter limited the damage with an outfield assist from right to third right after the error.
The Lancers extended their lead back out to six in the bottom of the sixth. Spohn led off the inning with a double to right field, took third on a deep fly ball to center from Bryce Macy and then scored easily on a sacrifice fly to right center from Angelo Capolupo.
The Tritons threw the first six innings out the window and forced a whole new ball game when they tied things up with six runs in the top of the seventh. Four of those runs were unearned, as UCSD was aided by a crucial error in the inning.
CBU remained resilient and scored in the bottom half of the inning to take an 8-7 lead. An error and hit by pitch put the Lancers' first two batters on in the frame, while a one-out single from Glenn loaded the bases. Williams was then hit by a pitch to bring in the go-ahead run.
UC San Diego came right back and forced another tie in the eighth on a walk, single and fielder's choice, and then took its first lead of the game, 9-8, on a solo home run from Zander Clarke in the top of the ninth.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: KURZ, Cameron (5-1)
L: Robinson, Brody (0-3)
Batting:
2B: BAUMGARTNER, Blake 1
HR: CLARKE, Zander 1
RBI: CLARKE, Zander 2 ; BAUMGARTNER, Blake 2 ; KITZMANN, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: STEWART, Brandon 1 ; DURNA, Tyler 1 ; CLARKE, Zander 1 ; BECK, Justin 1 ; BRIGMAN, Keenan 2 ; BAUMGARTNER, Blake 1 ; KITZMANN, Nick 2
SB: BRIGMAN, Keenan 1
HBP: STEWART, Brandon 1 ; DURNA, Tyler 1 ; KITZMANN, Nick 1
Batting:
2B: Spohn, Harrison 1
HR: Spohn, Harrison 1
RBI: Bell, Tommy 1 ; Glenn, John 1 ; Williams, Ryan 2 ; Spohn, Harrison 3 ; Capolupo, Angelo 1
SF: Capolupo, Angelo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Porter, D.J. 2 ; Bell, Tommy 1 ; Glenn, John 1 ; Williams, Ryan 1 ; Spohn, Harrison 2
HBP: Bash, Andrew 1 ; Williams, Ryan 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
3
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
INF/RHP
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