STOCKTON - California Baptist University softball began its two-day doubleheader trip to Northern California today with a pair of games against Pacific University in Stockton, dropping a close game one by a score of 3-2 before game two ended in a 4-4 tie due to rain and darkness after seven innings. The Lancers now sit at 9-14-1, recording a tie on their record for the first time since the 1997 season when they had two.
GAME ONE
The Lancers wasted no time getting on the board, opening the game by loading the bases with one out, but managing just one run on an
Amanda Argomaniz single which scored
Ashley McBay. The Tigers responded quickly, scoring on a two-out single to tie the game at 1-1.
The next four half innings would see the pitchers take care of business, with hitters going three up and three down in three of the half innings while CBU managed one single in the top of the third.
Maile Olson would smack a double to right center in the top of the fourth, immediately being scored by
Tiana Patrick who was pinch hitting in
Molly Kolander's spot and putting the Lancers back up by one.
The bottom of the fourth inning would see the Tigers take what was given to them in the form of four free bags to go with one hit and score two runs to take what would come to be the final lead of 3-2.
The Lancers would put a runner on second in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but would be unable to plate the runs needed to take back their earlier lead. Starting pitcher
Kerisa Viramontes would move to 7-5 on the season behind a complete game, five hit, four walk performance where she gave up three earned runs.
GAME TWO
Game two saw the Lancers again jump out to a lead, this time building up a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth.
Katelyn Mangrello,
Amanda Argomaniz and
Maile Olsen would all record RBI hits as CBU built a respectable lead late in the game.
Pacific clawed its way back into it using a big bottom of the sixth inning, scoring four runs on four hits to tie the game heading into the final inning. With rain steadily coming down, the Lancers went down in order leaving the door open for Pacific to walk it off in the bottom half of the frame. The Tigers would get runners to second and third with two-outs and bring in a pinch hitter in an effort to end the soggy game. That pinch hitter would take a 3-1 pitch and ground it to
Abby Robertson at second for an easy third out.
As the teams cleared the field, the coaches and umpires met near the first base bag, nodded in agreement, fist-bumped, and officially called the game as a 4-4 tie as the rain continued to come down.
WHAT'S NEXT
California Baptist University softball will dry off and make the short bus ride to Moraga, California, to take on the Saint Mary's Gaels in another doubleheader tomorrow with games scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
