Lancers Sweep First Division I Series

Sunday, February 17

Riverside, Calif.

9:00 AM

California Baptist University

3-0

Northern Illinois

0-3

Northern Illinois

California Baptist

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers Sweep First Division I Series

2/17/2019 3:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – It would be hard to imagine a better start to the NCAA Division I era for California Baptist University after it secured not only a series win but sweep over Northern Illinois in its first week as a D-I member.

CBU defeated the Huskies on scores of 10-7 and 8-0 on Sunday at Totman Stadium to improve to 4-0 this season. Northern Illinois starts the season out 0-4. Ryan Mota went 4-for-6 on Sunday, while Rory Smith and Chad Castillo had three hits each over both games. Billy Rockefeller and Harrison Spohn had two hits, as well.

The Lancers continue their season-opening homestand with five games next week, one against Kansas State Wednesday at 6 p.m. and a four-game series with Ohio Friday through Sunday.

In game one Sunday, CBU found itself in a 3-0 hole after the top of the first inning. CBU wasted no time in its comeback and scored five runs on six hits in the bottom half of the first. Luke Navigato led things off with a double and then scored on a Castillo single. After a passed ball, Mota plated Castillo with a 2-2 single up the middle.

Smith then put the Lancers in front, 4-3, with a two-run double to right center.

Rory Smith quickly gives CBU the lead, with a two-run double to right center. The Lancers are up 4-3, with this first inning now going past the 30-minute mark.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/DtFDq3Ytip
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

Mota and Glenn (single) both scored on the double from Smith, who then scored on a Rockefeller double.

Billy Rockefeller hits back-to-back doubles for CBU, scoring Rory Smith to give the Lancers a 5-3 lead going into the second inning.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/Zh405qIldy
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

When NIU cut its deficit down to 5-4 in the second, the Lancers got insurance with a three-run third. Spohn scored Mota, who reached on an infield single, with a double, and then Rockefeller came up big again with a two-run single up the middle to give CBU an 8-4 lead.

CBU upped its lead to 8-4 in the bottom of the third inning. Harrison Spohn came up with an RBI double, and Billy Rockefeller had this two-run single for the Lancers.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/JiGl4UGiHv
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

CBU added a run in the fourth and seventh on a RBI grounder from Andrew Bash and infield single from Smith, respectively, to make it 10-4 going into the eighth.

Rory Smith plated CBU's 10th run in the bottom of the seventh, his third of the game. The Lancers lead 10-5 going into the ninth inning.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/g0W1oWLD47
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

The Huskies pushed across three runs in the final two innings, but it was not enough as the Lancers wrapped up the 10-7 victory.

Angel Delgado earned his first win of the season with five innings of strong relief. The senior allowed just four base runners (two hits, two walks) and struck out nine of the 19 batters he faced.

Jacob McCarvel was another key part of CBU's bullpen in the game, coming on with two Huskies on base and one out in the top of the second. He got a grounder and liner to third base to end the inning and keep the Lancers in front, 5-4.

Mota went 3-for-4 with three runs and a run batted in in the game. Smith and Rockefeller each had two hits, three RBIs, with Smith scoring twice, as well.

In the finale, both teams were held scoreless through the first two-and-a-half innings. The Lancer struck first with a four-run bottom of the third.

Navigato started the onslaught when he drew a one-out walk, and Castillo upped the danger with a double to left. Bash had the big hit of the inning with a two-run single to left field. Four more walks and a wild pitch scored two more runs for CBU for a 4-0 lead.

📢📢📢 CBU STRIKES FIRST 📢📢📢

Andrew Bash clutches up with a full-count, two-run single into left field. The Lancers lead 2-0 with one out in the bottom of the third inning.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/0Wv1v79u4W
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

CBU added four more runs in the fifth. Mota led off the inning with a double to left and then scored on a Spohn bunt single and error. Another error and two run single from Angelo Capolupo increased the lead to 7-0 before Castillo capped the scoring with a run-scoring single to finish the game 2-for-4 with a double and the RBI.

CBU scores three more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth to lead 7-0 in this seven-inning game.

Ryan Mota and Harrison Spohn lead off with a double and single, while Angelo Capolupo plates two Lancers with this two-out single.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/7lUuJsk9eK
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 17, 2019

Jorge Valerio was dominant in the finale, throwing six shutout innings in which he gave up just three hits, struck out six and threw 76 pitches. Matt Mogollon made his CBU debut in the seventh and final inning of the day and series and retired the Huskies in order.