ST. GEORGE – The Lancers began Western Athletic Conference play with a day-one sweep against the league's newest challengers, the Dixie State Trailblazers. CBU improved its record to 12-16-1 overall and begins conference play with a perfect 2-0 tally on the dat. A former PacWest foe and recent NCAA Division II power, the Trailblazers would leave with a 12-14 record after getting outscored 14-1 by California Baptist.
These two teams last met in April of 2018, both ranked in the Division II national poll. CBU was ranked 14
th overall while DSU owned the sixth spot in the poll. The Lancers would go on to win that battle 9-0 in five innings in St. George. With today's results CBU now owns a 22-18 all-time record against Dixie State with a chance to improve on that in the final game of the series Saturday at 11 a.m.
GAME ONE
The Lancers got a pair of RBI singles in the top of the second from
Deja Westbrook and
Ashley McBay to take the early 2-0 lead. They would go on to score a pair in the third and seventh innings as well, reaching the final score of 6-0. CBU would rack up a season-high 15 hits against Dixie State, as four Lancers: McBay (3-5),
Makayla Jordan (3-4), Westbrook (3-4) and
Mia Alvarez (2-3), would record multi-hit games.
Alvarez also got it done in the field, snagging a highlight reel worthy diving catch in the bottom of the second to end the inning.
Starting in the circle for the Lancers was
Kerisa Viramontes, winner of four of her last five appearances, including both wins in the doubleheader against Long Beach State on March 16. Viramontes was on point early, striking out six Trailblazers, allowing just four hits and walking two to improve to 8-5 on the year in her seventh complete game victory of the year.
GAME TWO
The bats stayed hot in game two as the Lancers connected for another 14 hits and scored eight runs. Game two was led by sophomore
Katelyn Mangrello who was perfect at the plate, going 4-4 with two RBI and two runs. McBay mirrored her game one mark by going 3-5 again, with
Tiana Patrick catching and going 3-4 with three RBI.
Gretchen Goldsmith continued her resurgence in the circle, improving to 3-1 on the season, allowing just one run on five hits while striking out three in six innings of work.
Giana Lopez would come in to finish off the game in the seventh inning, retiring the final three Trailblazers in order on nine total pitches and one strikeout.
BLAZING THE CONFERENCE TRAIL
In total the Lancers went 29-73 offensively on day one, averaging out to a .397 clip at the plate. Five Lancers tallied six multi-hit games as the Lancers collected to most hits in a doubleheader in the Division I era.
