Lancers Secure First WAC Sweep on Senior Day

Saturday, April 20

Riverside, Calif.

12:00 PM

California Baptist University

21-26, 8-7

Utah Valley

12-26, 4-11

Utah Valley

California Baptist

Photo by: Reagan Lee

Lancers Secure First WAC Sweep on Senior Day

4/20/2019 3:42:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Several seniors gave California Baptist University big contributions en route to a the Lancers securing their first-ever Western Athletic Conference series sweep with a 3-2 win over Utah Valley on Saturday.

Every senior who was available appeared in the game for CBU on Saturday. Kellye Springstead threw a complete game on her Senior Day, giving up just one earned run on four hits, three walks and six strikeouts. Fellow seniors Anise Avalos and Cheyann Tucker also had hits on Saturday to help the Lancers out hit UVU 10-4.

Kellye Springstead gets out of a jam, with a strikeout in the top of the fifth. It keeps this a 1-1 game for CBU; Springstead now has six strikeouts on her Senior Day.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/cExQf8G6JU
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

Juniors Deanna Alarcon and Brittany Galvez both had two hits on Saturday, with Galvez driving in the winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alarcon not only had two hits but made several great defensive plays at second base. True freshman Molly Kolander also went 2-for-3 on the day.

Deanna Alarcon doubles in the bottom of the second, and then ends the top of the third with this great diving catch❗️ It was the second time today Utah Valley has gone down in order. There's still no score going into the bottom of the third.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/uMbAGc9qZ8
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

Piece of advice, don't hit the ball anywhere near Deanna Alarcon. She has another web gem in the fourth inning to save Utah Valley from expanding on its 1-0 lead.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/CvzuKdDAVA
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

The Lancers play their final seven regular-season games on the road. They will visit San Diego State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and then travel to UNLV for a non-conference series on Friday and Saturday.

After a pair of slugfests in games one and two on Friday, runs were hard to come by in the series finale. Utah Valley scored first for a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but the Lancers answered right back in the bottom half.

Alarcon started the frame with a one-out single, and then two-out singles from Kolander and Makenna Stram scored her. Stram waited back on a 2-2 pitch and sent it into left field for the RBI.

Pretty piece of hitting from Makenna Stram ties this game at 1⃣➖1⃣ in the bottom of the fourth! Deanna Alarcon got things started with a one-out single, while Molly Kolander and Stram's singles both came with two outs.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/vGSI2eW0Fm
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

The Lancers took their first lead in the bottom of the fifth. Avalos led off the inning with a single up the middle, and then took second on a groundout from Caitlyn Lloyd. Tucker plated her fellow senior with a two-out single into center field to make it 2-1 CBU.

CBU's senior connection of Anise Avalos and Cheyann Tucker leads to a run in the bottom of the fifth, and the Lancers' first lead (2-1)❗️

Avalos led off the inning with a single, and then scored on this two-out RBI single to center from Tucker.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/zZDEiPEUQf
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

Utah Valley answered back with a run in the sixth to tie the game 2-2. CBU did not give up the lead for long and scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the sixth.

Kolander started the inning with a one-out single, and then Stram drew a four-pitch walk to put her on second base. Galvez came through with the big hit of the game, smashing a shot through the left side to score Kolander from second base.

CBU TAKES THE LEAD, 3-2❗️❗️❗️

Brittany Galvez smokes a ball through the left side to score Molly Kolander from second base in the bottom of the sixth. Kolander singles with one out in the inning and moved to second on a walk to Makenna Stram. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/bqcXq1u5UU
— CBU Softball (@CBUSoftball) April 20, 2019

Seniors Sophia Perea and Hannah Thieroff both made appearances in the inning, as the Lancers loaded the bases. The Wolverines kept it a one-run game going into the seventh, and Springstead kept it that way by overcoming a two-out double with a popup to short to end the game.

Along with Springstead, Avalos, Tucker, Perea and Thieroff, Manoa Weijgertse, Halle Rosario and Soraya Shahbazian were honored after Saturday's game on Senior Day. The Lancers have now won five of their last seven games to improve to 21-26, 8-7 in the WAC. The Wolverines drop to 12-26, 4-11.