PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO – California Baptist University closed out the four-game Puerto Vallarta College Challenge tournament against the 12th ranked Tennessee Lady Vols on Saturday morning, eventually falling to UT, 5-2.
The Volunteers took no chances and entrusted their staff ace to take on the Lancers. Callie Turner leads UT in wins (five), earned run average (2.88), strikeouts (26), and innings pitched (34.0), but was challenged by CBU's ability to battle at the plate.
After a hitless first inning by both teams, the Lancers took an early lead as Mackenzie Budinger's leadoff double led to a run scored when senior Deanna Alarcon laid down a bunt to plate the first run of the game.
That lead would last only a short while as Tennessee scored four in the bottom of the third inning to take a 4-1 lead. CBU would take one of those runs back in the next frame, as freshman
Katelyn Mangrello singled to right allowing
Caitlyn Lloyd to score from second.
The Lady Vols would threaten loudly in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with just one out. Starting pitcher
Kerisa Viramontes would avoid any additional damage by forcing routine groundouts to third where Alarcon made crisp throws to get runners out at home and first to end the inning.
Tennessee would add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to push their lead to three runs. The Lancers got a runner into scoring position in the seventh, but were unable bring her home as CBU fell by the final score of 5-2.
Four Lancers recorded one hit each in the game while Viramontes went the full game allowing just six hits and striking out one Volunteer.
After all was said and done between the four games, Budinger led the Lancers in the tournament with a .444 average at the plate with three RBI's and a run scored. Mangrello was the only other Lancer with multiple RBI's as she brought in a pair on three hits while also scoring two runs.
For their efforts during this weekends action, junior pitcher Giana Lopez (1-0, 9IP, CS, 3K, 2.00 ERA) and freshman catcher Katelyn Mangrello (.273 BA, 2R, 2RBI, 0K, 0PB) were selected to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge all-tournament team.
CBU will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 21, as they have a rematch against Colorado State in the opening game of the Silicon Valley Classic in San Jose, CA. The Lancers will play a doubleheader that day, taking on site host San Jose State at 2:00 p.m.
