RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University baseball found itself in a battle with defending champion Grand Canyon to open the Western Athletic Conference season.
Despite another strong start from pitcher
CJ Culpepper, a two-run homer in the eighth inning propelled the Lopes to a 3-1 win on Friday night at Totman Stadium.
CBU and Grand Canyon will continue the three-game series on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at noon back in Riverside. The Lancers are now 7-1, 0-1 in the WAC while the Lopes improve to 5-4, 1-0.
Culpepper gave up just one run on four hits, two walks and struck out six over the first six innings. Grand Canyon's final two runs were both unearned and came against CBU's bullpen.
Offensively,
Harrison Spohn and
Jake Skipworth both doubled on Friday.
Mitchel Simon drove in CBU's lone run of the game in the bottom of the fifth to tie things up after GCU got on the board first in the second inning.
David Martin,
Ulises Caballero and
Russell Stevenson also had hits in the game for the Lancers.
A leadoff triple setup the Lopes' first run of the game. The pitcher's duel continued until the fifth inning. Caballero started the inning with a single into right field and then moved on to second after an error from the fielder. Caballero went on steal third before Simon brought him home with a single to left.
GCU's eighth inning started with an error and hit by pitch, but the Lancers to get out of trouble on a beautiful double play started by Simon at third. He snagged a hard line drive and then doubled up the runner at second base. The Lope's next batter then hit a two-run shot to right field for the game-winning runs.
