RIVERSIDE – A back-and-forth slugfest broke out in game one of California Baptist University baseball's Western Athletic Conference series with Sacramento State.
The Hornets came out on top, 14-11, although the Lancers outhit them 15-13 on Friday night at Totman Stadium. It was CBU's third 15-hit game this season, with nine different Lancers logging a hit.
Mitchel Simon led the way, as he finished a triple shy of the cycle at 4-for-4 with a grand slam, five runs batted in, two doubles and three runs scored.
Nick Plaia (3-for-5) and
Chad Castillo (2-for-4) each had multi-hit games for CBU, as well. Plaia and Keith both stretched their hitting streaks to 12 games. Plaia did so with two doubles and three runs scored. Those streaks both rank top 10 in the Lancers' NCAA era, tying with
Andrew Bash (2018) and
Brian Ruhm (2017) for 10
th.
WAC STANDINGS UPDATE
CBU's lead in the WAC standings drop to one game, as its record moves to 29-12 overall and 21-4 in conference. Grand Canyon closed the gap with a 10-0, seven-inning win over Dixie State in its series opener in Utah. The Lopes are in second place at 27-17-1 overall and 20-5 in the conference, while Sac State improves on its third-place standing at 27-16, 18-11.
The Lancers and Hornets' series continues with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday in Riverside and will end on Sunday at noon. CBU will then head to NM State for a four-game WAC series in Las Cruces, N.M.
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Sacramento State scored first and led by as many as eight on the night, but the Lancers would not quit. CBU responded to the Hornets scoring the first run in the top of the second with a three-run outburst in the bottom half.
Plaia got the rally going with a one-out double.
Harrison Spohn doubled two pitches later to tie the game and a two-double double and single from Simon and
CJ Masciel, respectively, gave CBU a 3-1 edge.
Sac State kept its bats hot and scored four runs in the third, six more in the fourth and one more in the fifth to jump up by eight, 12-4.
The Lancers fought back and scored three runs in a row.
Connor Clift stayed sharp at the plate with his third home run in the last three games in the fourth inning. He added a sacrifice fly in the sixth to score Plaia, who had doubled earlier. CBU scored two more runs in the sixth on an RBI double from Keith and single from
John Glenn.
Simon brought the Lancers back within striking distance with a two-out grand slam that made it 14-11 in the bottom of the seventh. Castillo and Plaia both singled on board in the inning, while
David Martin drew a two-out, pinch-hit walk.
