California Baptist University
31-18, 15-7
Chicago State
10-35, 5-17
Lancers Earn Second-Straight WAC Mercy Victory
5/10/2019 8:52:00 PM | Baseball
The Lancers got the victory in front of a near capacity crowd at Totman Stadium for First Responder's Night. Six CBU players put together multi-hit games on Friday, with Ryan Mota recording his fourth multi-homer game of the season with two three-run bombs. It was also his second game with six or more runs batted in this year.
Andrew Bash logged a career-high four hits, going a perfect four-for-four in the game, while Chad Castillo and John Glenn each had three hits. Mota, Luke Navigato and Angelo Capolupo also had two hits, while Billy Rockefeller ended the game early with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to put the WAC 10-run rule into effect.
Winner, winner Billy Rockefeller❗️❗️❗️
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 11, 2019
Rockefeller hits a walk-off (of sorts) two-run homer to end this game on the WAC run rule, with CBU up 13-2. The Lancers score a total of six runs in the bottom of the eighth to end this game early.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/8V0S5kOfCx
CBU improves to 31-18 overall and 15-7 in WAC to keep pace with the top teams in the conference, while Chicago State drops to 10-35, 5-17. The series continues with a 5 p.m. game on Saturday and then wraps up with an 11 a.m. start to Senior Day on Sunday.
The Lancers got some help from the teams in front of them coming into the series. NM State won to take over sole possession of first place in the conference standings at 16-6 in league. Sacramento State and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley both lost on Friday to move into a four-way tie for second place in the conference with CBU and Grand Canyon at 15-7 in the WAC.
Logan Rinehart continued his recent run of dominance on the mound, with six-straight victories on a quality starts. He threw seven innings in which he allowed just six hits, three walks and the two runs and struck out five.
Over his last six outings, Rinehart has a 2.01 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 40.1 innings. Overall, it brings him to 8-0 this year, with a 3.03 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 59.1 innings. His eight victories this season are top-three in the WAC this year and tied for the fourth most in CBU's NCAA era (2014-19).
👏👏👏
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 11, 2019
How about that defense from the pitcher? Logan Rinehart knocks down a hard liner right back at him and gets the out to end the top of the seventh. #LanceUp pic.twitter.com/FNZZdX46ZB
The Lancers immediately seized momentum in the game. Chicago State put its first two runners on base in the top of the first, but Rinehart got three-straight outs on two fly balls and a four-pitch strikeout to strand both runners in scoring position.
CBU then took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. The first run came on back-to-back doubles from Castillo and Bash. Glenn drove in the second run with a bloop single to center field, which scored Bash after he took third on a wild pitch.
Four more runs came from the Lancers, with all of them scoring with two outs. Capolupo singled with one out, and then Castillo kept the inning alive with a two-out single. Bash added his second RBI hit of the night with a single to left to make it 3-0. Mota then hit a three-run homer to center field to give the Lancers a healthy 6-0 cushion early.
Chicago State got on the board with a run in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Lancers got one back with a trio of singles in the bottom of the fifth. Plaia hit his way aboard with one out, while Capolupo and Navigato singled with two outs to bring him home and make it 7-2.
CBU gets a run back with an RBI single from senior Luke Navigato. The Lancers take a 7⃣➖2⃣ lead into the sixth inning. Nick Plaia and Angelo Capolupo singled in the inning to set up the RBI.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/ksBGQaOIH1
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 11, 2019
The Lancers were not done, though, and scored six more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Navigato led off the inning with a double and scored on a RBI single from Castillo. Mota then hit his second three-run homer to make it 11-2 CBU. A single from Glenn then set up Rockefeller's game-ending, two-run homer.
Mota now has 16 home runs, 49 RBI and a .599 slugging percentage this year, with his home-run total setting a single-season, NCAA-era record at CBU.
For the second time tonight, Ryan Mota has hit a three-run homer❗️ There was never any doubt on this one -- that poor, poor ⚾️. The Lancers lead 11-2 in the bottom of the eighth.#LanceUp pic.twitter.com/BLgrokQgLa
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 11, 2019
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rinehart, Logan (8-0)
L: Gregory, Brett (2-8)
Batting:
2B: Lowe, Tyler 1 ; Rosenhagen, James 1
RBI: Lowe, Tyler 1 ; Rosenhagen, James 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brock Jr., Reggie 1 ; Arndt, Patrick 1
SB: Brock Jr., Reggie 1
Batting:
2B: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Castillo, Chad 1 ; Bash, Andrew 1
HR: Mota, Ryan 2 ; Rockefeller, Billy 1
RBI: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Castillo, Chad 1 ; Bash, Andrew 2 ; Mota, Ryan 6 ; Glenn, John 1 ; Rockefeller, Billy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Navigato, Luke 1 ; Castillo, Chad 3 ; Bash, Andrew 3 ; Mota, Ryan 2 ; Glenn, John 1 ; Plaia, Nick 1 ; Rockefeller, Billy 1 ; Capolupo, Angelo 1
HBP: Navigato, Luke 1
