CBU Heats Up Late at Arizona State

Wednesday, March 20

Tempe, Ariz.

6:30 PM

California Baptist University

14-7

Arizona State

20-0

Cal Baptist

Arizona State

Photo by: Reagan Lee

CBU Heats Up Late at Arizona State

3/20/2019 10:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

PHOENIX – California Baptist University's offense came to life late in its first-ever game against a top-five ranked team in NCAA Division I.

The Lancers outscored No. 5 Arizona State by eight runs over the final four innings in a 15-9 loss to the Sun Devils on Wednesday night. ASU of the Pac-12 Conference is still the only undefeated team in D-I baseball at 20-0, while CBU moves to 14-7 this season.

Luke Navigato went 3-for-6 in the game with two runs batted in, while Chad Castillo, John Glenn and Nick Plaia all had two hits, as well, as CBU nearly matched ASU in hits, 15-14.
Mason McGarvey shutout the Sun Devils over the final 1.1 innings on the mound, as well, while recording three strikeouts against the six batters he faced.

Wednesday was a good test for CBU, as it now shifts gears to Western Athletic Conference play with three games at Grand Canyon Friday through Sunday. The Lopes host the conference-opening series at Brazell Field, with the opener coming Friday at 6:30 p.m. Game two will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday, with the finale at noon Sunday.

After being held scoreless over the first five innings, the Lancers scored in each of the final four. Andrew Bash got the Lancers' offense started with a leadoff home run in the sixth inning. It was his fifth of the season and second in the last six games.

CBU built on that momentum with a one-out rally in the seventh inning. Harrison Spohn started things off with a single into center field, which was the first four-straight hits for the Lancers.

Spohn scored on a double to the left-center gap from Plaia, and then Navigato plated Plaia with a single through the right side.

CBU puts together 4-straight hits for 2 more runs in T7th.

Harrison Spohn starts things with a one-out single and scores on a Nick Plaia double. Plaia comes home on this RBI single from Luke Navigato, as the Lancers have now put up three runs on No. 5 Arizona State.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/NKz4oc2pkZ
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 21, 2019

A Castillo single and walk to Bash loaded the bases with one out. Ryan Mota then came through with a sacrifice fly to score CBU's fourth run.

The Lancers aren't done, as a sacrifice fly from Ryan Mota gives them three runs in the inning. CBU is still up in the top of the seventh, with runners at the corners and two outs.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/D6NQU2B0n2
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 21, 2019

Two leadoff walks to Rory Smith and Billy Rockefeller got the eighth inning off to a promising start. Plaia drove in Smith with a fielder's choice grounder to short for his second RBI of the game to make it 15-5.

The Lancers struck for four more runs in the ninth after loading the bases with no outs on a walk to Bash and singles from Mota and Glenn. A sacrifice fly from Smith scored the first run of the inning, while a wild pitch brought home another.

A pinch-hit single from Jeff Bruyntjens loaded the bases again with one out. Plaia tacked on another run-scoring hit with a single through the left side and Navigato brought in the ninth with a grounder to short.