Lancers, Lopes Face-Off in WAC Play

Friday, March 29

Riverside, Calif.

5:30 PM

California Baptist University

14-20, 1-3

Grand Canyon

22-13, 4-0

Grand Canyon

California Baptist

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers, Lopes Face-Off in WAC Play

3/29/2019 11:40:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Mike Minyard, Assoc. AD for External Relations

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist opened its first-ever home Western Athletic Conference series with a doubleheader against Grand Canyon at Funk Stadium on Friday. The Lopes claimed the twin bill with a 12-inning 3-2 victory along with a 5-0 win in the nightcap.

In the first contest, Grand Canyon threatened early with back-to-back singles to start the game. From there, CBU's Kellye Springstead was locked in, striking out the next three batters to get out of the jam.

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Despite GCU starting the game off with a pair of hits, Kellye Springstead holds the Lopes scoreless with three consecutive strikeouts!#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/CgTWSIFCgI
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) March 30, 2019

The Lancers got on the board first with a run in the second inning. Brittany Galvez hit a leadoff single up the middle. Amanda Argomaniz was able to move Galvez over to second base with a sacrifice bunt to put CBU in prime scoring position. Deanna Alarcon singled to right to drive in Galvez for the early 1-0 lead.

Deanna Alarcon rips a single to put the Lancers on the scoreboard first!#LanceUp | #BeatGCU pic.twitter.com/n3KalXb7MU
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) March 30, 2019

The Lopes evened the score with a solo home run by Lilly Bishop in the fourth inning. In the sixth, GCU led the inning off with a double by Taylor Olsen. With one out, Maddie Dowdle hit a double to right field that resulted in a 9-4-2-5-1-6 putout after Olsen slipped rounding third for the potential go-ahead run. Dowdle was able to advance to third as the pickle play with Olsen came to an end. Pinch hitter Jordon Keeton singled in Dowdle to give the Lopes a 2-1 lead.

CBU responded quickly as Mackenzie Budinger earned a walk with a seven-pitch full count at-bat to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Galvez singled to right, advancing to second on the throw as Budinger safely advanced to third. After an infield pop-up by Argomaniz, Alarcon drove in her second run of the day with a sacrifice fly to deep left field that scored Budinger to tie the game at 2-2.

Deanna Alarcon comes through with a clutch sac fly to tie the game!#LanceUp | #BeatGCU pic.twitter.com/tkWL3ktsAY
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) March 30, 2019

Both teams would go scoreless over the next five innings. Springstead was solid in the circle all night, but was exceptional from the seventh inning on. She retired 18 of the next 23 batters faced, striking out five while allowing just four hits over the final six innings of work.

In the top of the 12^th inning, GCU's Shea Smith hit a single to right center that was misplayed, allowing her to advance to second base with no outs. Sierra Smith moved the runner over to third with a sacrifice bunt. The Lopes took a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly by Savannah Tourville that pushed the unearned run across the plate. Springstead struck out the next batter, her 11^th and final of the night, to end the inning.

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1⃣1⃣ strikeouts for Kellye Springstead!#LanceUp | #BeatGCU pic.twitter.com/YvOSu6Fdf1
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) March 30, 2019

The Lancers were unable to extend the game as they went down in order in the bottom half of the 12th. The full 12-inning contest lasted three hours and 14 minutes.

Springstead's 11 strikeouts were the most thrown by a Lancer since she tied her career-high of 12 in the season opener against North Texas on Feb. 8. Tonight was the third occasion this season and fifth time of her career to strike out 10 or more in a game.

In the second contest, GCU jumped on the Lancers early. The Lopes scored a pair of runs on four singles in the top of the first inning. GCU extended its lead to 3-0 with a RBI single by Loriann Olson that scored Taylor Kaye in the fourth. The Lopes added two more runs in the fifth inning with a solo HR by Sierra Smith and a RBI double by Dowdle that scored Chrstine Bellavia to push the score to the final margin, 5-0.

The Lancers move to 14-21, 1-4 in the WAC, while Grand Canyon improves to 23-13, 5-0. The series concludes with a noon game on Saturday. Fans can follow the contest with live stats and video at CBULancers.com/live.