CBU Notches Win #33 in Mid-Week Game vs. Hawai'i

Monday, May 23

Riverside, Calif.

5 PM

California Baptist University

33-20

Hawaii

27-22

Hawai'i

California Baptist

Photo by: Elijah Hickman

CBU Notches Win #33 in Mid-Week Game vs. Hawai'i

5/23/2022 8:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University baseball started the final week of the 2022 season with a 6-4 win over a strong University of Hawai'i squad on Monday.

The Lancers scored the first five runs of the game and then held off the Rainbow Warriors' comeback attempt late. CBU improves to 33-20 on the year and snaps a five-game winning streak for Hawai'i (27-22). The Warriors go into the final week of the Big West Conference season in third place in the league standings at 18-9.

🚨🚨🚨

CJ Culpepper returns in the closer's spot and strikes out the side for his first save of the season and 14th all-time. It ties CBU's career record for saves. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/Ql6gm5Rg8u
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 24, 2022

On the mound, Brandon Downer earned his fifth win of the season after a 5.1 inning start. CJ Culpepper returned to CBU's closer spot – at least for one game – and notched his first save of the year and 14^th of his career to tie Brody Robinson (2015-18) for the program's career record.

CBU had 12 hits on the game, with a game-high three from Harrison Spohn David Martin. Spohn went 3-for-4 with a run and a run batted in. He also took over the nation's lead for doubles after he laced his 26^th two-bagger of the season in the first inning.

It broke a five-way tie for first in NCAA Division I, as UNLV's Joey Walls, Eastern Michigan's Matt Kirk, Texas A&M Corpus Christi's Steven Rivera-Chijn and Kennewsaw State's Josh Hatcher also came into the week with 25 doubles.

🚨🚨🚨

HARRISON SPOHN IS THE NCAA DIVISION I LEADER IN DOUBLES.

Spohn hits #⃣2⃣6⃣ of the season to build on his NCAA-era record for CBU and No. 3 mark all-time. #LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/W2JRbda2Qm
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 24, 2022

Chad Castillo built on his historic season, as well, with a two-RBI performance. It gives him 66 on the season, which is tops in CBU's NCAA era and tied for fifth all-time. He's the first Lancer with 66 RBI in a season since Sharif Othman's 67 in 2010.

Downer gave up four runs on six hits, no walks and struck out three over 5.1 innings. Three Lancers combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings in relief. Liam Rocha got two outs to end the sixth, while Seth Mattox allowed just one hit over two innings and Culpepper struck out the side in order on 15 pitches in the ninth.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
CBU took a 2-0 lead in the first inning after the Lancers started their at-bats with three-straight hits. Martin led things off with a single and Spohn's double put two in scoring position. Castillo scored them both with a single to the outfield fence.

Chad Castillo plates two to give him 6⃣6⃣ RBI on the year❗️#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/bg2j8rmfyI
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 24, 2022

The Lancers scored two more after three consecutive to-out singles from Josh Paino, Martin and Spohn in the second. Russell Steven then hit a solo homer in the third to make it 5-0.

"If at first you don't succeed, swing again." — Russell Stevenson #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/grgQbZC87V
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 24, 2022

The Warriors fought all the way back within a run, 5-4, after three runs in the fourth and another in the sixth. CBU's bullpen shut the door on Hawai'i, only giving up one hit over the final 3.2 innings. Defensively, CBU got impressive plays from Spohn, Downer and Josh Paino to silence the Warriors' bats.

⚠️ 𝑾𝑬𝑩 𝑮𝑬𝑴 ⚠️

It doesn't get much better than Harrison Spohn. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/ysTISILf07
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 24, 2022

UP NEXT
The Lancers will end the 2022 campaign with the Crosstown Showdown, a three-game series against UC Riverside. It begins on Thursday with a 6 p.m. first pitch at Totman Stadium, continues Friday at 6 p.m. at UC Riverside's Riverside Sports Complex and ends Saturday at 2 p.m. back at Totman.

Saturday will be Senior Day for 10 Lancers: Spohn, Ulises Caballero, Grady Tuohy, Ryan Silva, Brett Finnel, Trevor Cadd, Castillo, Connor Clift, Stevenson and Mason McGarvey.