Lancers Log 35th Win, Secure Crosstown Showdown Series Victory

Friday, May 27

Riverside, Calif.

6 PM

California Baptist University

35-20

UC Riverside

8-44

California Baptist

UC Riverside

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Lancers Log 35th Win, Secure Crosstown Showdown Series Victory

5/27/2022 8:55:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University secured the Crosstown Showdown series victory with a 9-5 win over UC Riverside on Friday night at the Riverside Sport Complex.

The Lancers improve to 35-20 on the year, as they've now won 35 games in all three of their full NCAA Division I transition seasons. The Highlanders fall to 8-44 on the year.

Jared Villalobos put together a dominant pitching performance in relief in his CBU single-season record 28^th appearance of the year. He threw a season-high 5.2 innings and was perfect the whole way after being called upon with two on and one out in the fourth. He struck out four to tie his season high for the third time.

JARED VILLALOBOS HAD HIMSELF A NIGHT 💯

He throws 5.2 perfect innings with four strikeouts in relief after being called out of the bullpen with two on and no outs in the fourth inning. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/2351SmpE1v
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 28, 2022

David Martin and Chad Castillo both had three-hit games and Mitchel Simon and Ulises Caballero each had two for CBU. Castillo drove in his 67^th run batted in of the year to move into a tie for third place in CBU's single-season record book. Harrison Spohn extended his hitting streak to 17 games to make into a tie for the ninth-longest hitting streak in CBU history and third longest in the NCAA era.

ANOTHER ☝️

Mitchel Simon triples to lead off the second and scores on a sacrifice fly from Ulises Caballero. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/cLtpnbYAij
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 28, 2022

ONE OF THE BEST
CBU is looking to polish off one of the best-ever transitions to NCAA Division I. During its transition to full membership, the Lancers have a 117-64 record. Its win total ranks sixth among D-I teams in transition since 1998, despite the 2020 season being canceled just 15 games in due to the COVID-19 pandemic. California Baptist's 110 wins its first three full seasons are the second most by any transitioning team in that time span.

The Lancers' overall 64.6 winning percentage in Division I (117-64) ranks second among transitioning D1 programs. Stony Brook holds that honor with a 64.7 mark (112-61).

PLAY-BY-PLAY
CBU scores a run in each of the first two innings, thanks to a double from Castillo in the first inning and a lead-off triple from Simon in the second. The Lancers scored two more runs off an error in the third.

CBU gets on the board in the first inning after a one-out double from Chad Castillo. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/TV83rvWApP
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 28, 2022

UC Riverside got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the third, bringing the score to 4-2. The Lancers answered with a giant two-out rally for four runs in the fourth. Josh Paino started the rally with a two-out single and Martin was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. Spohn, Castillo, Russell Stevenson and Jake Skipworth all came through with two-out RBI singles to make it 8-2.

A two-out rally produces 4️⃣ runs for CBU in the fourth inning.

Harrison Spohn, Chad Castillo, Russell Stevenson and Jake Skipworth all come through with two-out RBI singles. #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/tw9Fj5H6g8
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 28, 2022

The Highlanders scored three runs in the fourth to cut their deficit to three, 8-5, but Villalobos came out of the bullpen to halt the comeback attempt. Caballero added an insurance run for CBU with an RBI double in the ninth.

💪 ULISES CABALLERO 💪#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/sy8BxkZZso
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 28, 2022

UP NEXT
The Crosstown Showdown and 2022 season will come to a close at Totman Stadium on Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m. It will be Senior Day for 10 Lancers: Spohn, Caballero, Grady Tuohy, Ryan Silva, Brett Finnel, Trevor Cadd, Castillo, Connor Clift, Stevenson and Mason McGarvey. The Senior Day ceremony will take place approximately 15 minutes before first pitch.