Mota's Masterful Night

Saturday, March 9

Riverside, Calif.

5:00 PM

California Baptist University

12-3

Pacific

9-5

Pacific

California Baptist

Photo by: Reagan Lee

3/9/2019 8:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Arguably the most dominant performance at the plate in team history from Ryan Mota led California Baptist University to a 10-3 win over Pacific on Saturday night, as the Lancers secured the series victory.

Mota went 4-for-4 at the plate with three home runs and seven runs batted in to become the first Lancer in the modern era (2002-19) to record three homers and seven RBIs in a game. It is the first time in the NCAA era (2014-19) either of those have been accomplished in a single game.

Not to be overshadowed, Chris Burica threw the first complete game in the Division I era for CBU. He allowed just six hits and one earned run, while striking out four over all nine innings.

Great way to start the game, Chris Burica goes 1-2-3 through the first inning, ending it with a strikeout on a great curve. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/5mTJ720yI5
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 10, 2019

CBU improves to 12-3 this season, while Pacific drops to 9-4. The teams will conclude their series with an 11 a.m. game Sunday at Totman Stadium.

A home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning from Mota gave CBU a 1-0 lead. The Lancers then had to play from behind for the first time this week when the Tigers scored three runs (two unearned) in the third.

Ryan Mota came into this week tied for sixth in NCAA Division I with six home runs, and he just hit his seventh❗ It gives CBU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/NPvX1ilGXh
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 10, 2019

Down 3-1, CBU tied the game in the fourth inning on back-to-back solo homers from Mota and John Glenn. It was the first time since April 2, 2016 that the Lancers hit consecutive long balls.

📢📢📢

For the third time this season, Ryan Mota has a two home run game.

BUT WAIT, that's not all❗️

Mota and John Glenn hit BACK-to-BACK home runs to tie the game 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/shcMaD7dGV
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 10, 2019

Mota just missed another homer in the fifth when he doubled to dead center to score two Angelo Capolupo (hit by pitch) and Luke Navigato (single). An error and infield single from Billy Rockefeller gave CBU a 7-3 lead going into the sixth.

It's not a home run, but we'll take it 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Ryan Mota crushes a two-run double to dead center field, just missing his third homer of the game. It make him 3-for-3 with four runs batted in tonight, and gives CBU a 5-3 lead.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/Ph2pJbDP4f
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 10, 2019

Like it or not, the Tigers were forced to pitch to Mota in the sixth when he came to the plate with Harrison Spohn (single) and Navigato (single) at the corners with one out. Mota blasted his third home run of the game to left field to cap the scoring at 10-3.

3⃣ home runs ✅
7⃣ runs batted in ✅

Ryan Mota cannot be stopped, will not be stopped. His three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth blows this game open, as CBU leads 10-3. He's the first Lancer in NCAA-era history with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs in a game.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/xN3LN2cIcx
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 10, 2019

Mota received a standing ovation in the eighth inning when Pacific wisely pitched around him, and he was substituted for a pinch runner.