Burica, Castillo Guide CBU to Game-One Win Over UC Davis

Friday, March 5

Davis, Calif.

2 PM

California Baptist University

4-4

UC Davis

3-5

California Baptist

UC Davis

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Burica, Castillo Guide CBU to Game-One Win Over UC Davis

3/5/2021 4:52:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

DAVIS – Chris Burica put together a dominant start on the mound to lead California Baptist University baseball to a 6-1 win in its series opener at UC Davis on Friday.

Burica shutout the Aggies through seven innings, while Chad Castillo drove in three runs to set the Lancers up for the win. Offensively, CBU got multi-hit games from Castillo, Damon Keith and Harrison Spohn.

The Lancers improve to 4-4 on the year, while UC Davis falls to 3-5. The three-game series will continue with a 1 p.m. game on Saturday at Swimley Field.

Chris Burica was on 🔥

He exits the game after throwing 7⃣ shutout innings in which he gave up 2⃣ hits, no runs and struck out a career-high 9⃣#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/TfoeX3Kgd0
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 6, 2021

The Aggies made things interesting in the ninth when they loaded the bases with two outs, but they only managed one run. Drew Necochea earned the save, as he came into pitch with two outs, the bases loaded and the tying run on the on-deck circle. He retired the one batter he faced with a grounder to first to secure the five-run win.

CBU wasted no time in getting on the board. Damon Keith doubled in the first run of the game in the top of the first. Chad Minato scored from first after he drew a full-count walk.

Damon Keith puts CBU on the board with an RBI double#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/7CZzAm7Ood
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 5, 2021

The fifth was the big inning for the Lancers, as they scored three runs to go ahead 4-0. Ulises Caballero led off the inning with a single and a walk to Mitchel Simon put two on with no outs. A sacrifice bunt from Nick Plaia moved them both into scoring position. Minato singled home a run and Castillo singled in two more after Minato stole second to make it 4-0.

Chad Castillo coming through in the clutch 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 to make it 4⃣➖0⃣ CBU#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/LbzZTjtHpm
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 5, 2021

The Lancers tacked on two more insurance runs in the seventh. Plaia led off the inning with a double and Minato sacrificed him to third. Castillo drove in his third RBI and an error brought in CBU's sixth run of the game.

Nick Plaia doubles aboard and then comes around to score for CBU's fifth run#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/E2qvBbtHHO
— CBU Baseball (@CBUbaseball) March 5, 2021

BURICA'S HEATING UP
Friday marked the second start in a row Burica pitched through seven innings after he went eight against Saint Mary's last week. He struck out a career-high nine batters and gave up just two hits and three walks through seven strong innings.

Burica could have been thinking shutout before he was lifted in the eighth. He is responsible for the only complete game in the Lancers' NCAA Division I era, as he last did so nearly two years ago exactly against Pacific on March 9, 2019.

Joseph Romero, a true freshman, threw a strong eighth inning in relief for the Lancers. He allowed just one walk to keep UC Davis off the scoreboard.