RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist University struck first, but ultimately saw its winning streak come to an end in its first official game versus UC Riverside in about a decade.
The Lancers scored twice in the top of the second, but the Highlanders came back for an 8-3 win in CBU's first road game of the season at the Riverside Sports Complex. CBU, which is receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's D-I poll, moves 9-1 this season, while UC Riverside is 4-6.
The series wraps up with two games on Sunday. UC Riverside will host the first game at the Riverside Sports Complex at 1 p.m., with the finale being played at Totman Stadium at 6 p.m. A postgame fireworks show presented by Magnolia Heating & Cooling and The Press-Enterprise will take place after the series finale.Â
CBU had 11 hits in the game.
Luke Navigato and
John Glenn both had three hits, while five other Lancers had base hits.
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Chris Burica limited the damage on the mound and saved the Lancers' bullpen. He did not allow a run, as he overcame three hits and three walks over 3.2 innings of relief.
Three hits, all on two strikes, and a balk helped CBU score twice in the top of the second. Glenn started things with a one-out single, and a full-count double from
Rory Smith put runners in scoring position. The balk brought Glenn home, and then
Jeff Bruyntjens drove in Smith a single up the middle.
UC Riverside tied the game in the bottom of the second and then took the lead, 3-2, in the third. A five-run fifth did most of the damage for the Highlanders.
The Lancers started to make things interesting in the eighth.
Chad Castillo led off the inning with a hard single up the middle, and two wild pitches brought him home.
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A walk to
Billy Rockefeller brought up the heart of the order for CBU with two outs.
Andrew Bash worked his into a full count and then drove a ball to the warning track in left field, but UCR's fielder made the catch with his back up against the wall to keep it an 8-3 game.
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