Lancers One-Hit Aggies in WAC Series Opener

Friday, May 6

Riverside, Calif.

6 PM

California Baptist University

27-15, 13-9

NM State

18-24, 8-14

New Mexico State

California Baptist

Photo by: Andrew Shortall

Lancers One-Hit Aggies in WAC Series Opener

5/6/2022 8:54:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University baseball's pitching put up for 14 strikeouts and logged the program's first one-hitter of the NCAA Division I era in a 6-2 win over NM State on Friday at Totman Stadium.

Spencer Bengard and Liam Rocha combined for the Lancers' first one-hitter since 2015 in the Western Athletic Conference West Division series opener with the Aggies. CBU improves to 27-15 on the season and 13-9 in the WAC, while NMSU drops to 18-24, 8-14.

🚨 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄 🚨

For the first time in the NCAA Division I era and since 2015, CBU completes a one-hitter!

Pitchers Spencer Bengard (5IP, 1H, 9K) and Liam Rocha (4IP, 5K) combine for the one-hit effort for the Lancers.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/qhgAra5IUC
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 7, 2022

Bengard got the win as he was charged with a hit, a walk, one earned run and two hit by pitches but struck out a career-high nine over his five-inning start. Rocha earned a 12-out save with four shutout innings of relief in which he gave up three walks and struck out five.

Chad Castillo and Harrison Spohn led the offense, as each had two of the Lancers' eight hits. Spohn scored twice and Castillo had two runs batted in.

David Martin also extended his hitting streak to 23 games. It gave him sole possession of the NCAA-era record, whether in a single season or over two campaigns after Bryce Macy had a 22-game streak from 2016-17.

𝘿𝘼𝙑𝙄𝘿 𝙈𝘼𝙍𝙏𝙄𝙉 𝘿𝙊𝙀𝙎 𝙄𝙏 𝘼𝙂𝘼𝙄𝙉 👏

He extends his hitting streak to 23 games in the seventh. It's an NCAA-era record, whether in a single season or over two seasons!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/QcEdcBtlS5
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 7, 2022

PLAY-BY-PLAY
CBU jumped out to a 3-0 lead on four hits and two errors in the first inning. Spohn started the rally with a single and back-to-back RBI doubles from Castillo and Mitchel Simon scored the first two runs. A single and error on a ball off Michael Carpentier's bat made it 3-0.

WE'RE IN BUSINESS 🙌 #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/gMvGFOX40F
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 7, 2022

NMSU got a run back with a solo homer in the fourth and another run in the fifth, which made it a one-run game.

The Lancers finally got some insurance with two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth. CBU scored its two seventh-inning runs on a two-out rally. Martin singled his way aboard, Spohn skied an RBI double into the lights and Castillo laced an RBI single up the middle all with two away.

Is there a prettier swing than Chad's❓ #LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/rFhaXsWsrh
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) May 7, 2022

Four walks scored CBU's sixth run in the eighth, as Reeve Holley, Jake Skipworth, Connor Clift and Martin coaxed free passes in the inning.

UP NEXT
The series continues with a 5 p.m. game on Saturday at Totman Stadium and ends Sunday at noon. The Lancers will then making their final extended road trip of the season, with a game at the University of San Diego on Tuesday, May 10 at 6 p.m., a WAC series at Seattle U (May 13-15) and a mid-week game at the University of Washington (May 17).