CBU Sweeps Home Opening Conference Doubleheader Against UT Arlington

Friday, March 24

Riverside, Calif.

4 PM

California Baptist University

17-13, 1-3

UT Arlington

11-15, 2-2

UT Arlington

California Baptist

Photo by: Elijah Hickman

CBU Sweeps Home Opening Conference Doubleheader Against UT Arlington

3/24/2023 11:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Daniel Cook, Associate Director of Athletics Communications & Digital Media

RIVERSIDE – California Baptist University softball opened home conference play in a big way on Friday night with a pair of electric one-run wins against UT Arlington, 3-2 and 5-4. CBU improved to 18-13 on the year and notched their first two conference wins, giving them a Western Athletic Conference tally of 2-3.

GAME ONE: CBU 3 – UTA 2

Deja Westbrook got things going in the bottom of the second for the Lancers, singling to left to score Maya Martinez from first base, giving CBU an early 1-0 lead.

The Mavericks hit back immediately, leveling the score in the top of the third with some well-executed small-ball. UTA only got to enjoy their lead for a short time as the Lancers snatched their lead back in the bottom of the third. Alissa Montes De Oca brought in Priscilla Estrada on an infield hit the Mavericks' second baseman couldn't handle. Deja Westbrook came through again two batters later, sending a single straight up the middle to score Sydney Soto and take a 3-1 lead.

Alyssa Argomaniz saw the minimum in the fourth and fifth innings but had a battle on her hands in the sixth. The Lady Mavs got a runner into scoring position off a one-out triple, scoring on a single in the next at-bat. A walk and an infield single loaded the bases with two outs, but a manageable ground out to third ended the threat.

Presley Hosick would come into the seventh inning to secure the win for Argomaniz and a third save on the season for herself. She opened with a strikeout swinging and then forced to groundouts to solidify the Lancer win.

GAME TWO: CBU 5 – UTA 4

The second game of the day started off as well as possible for the Mavericks, as they gave their starting pitcher a three-run lead to start the game with. CBU managed to get one of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning as De Oca collected her second RBI single of the game, bringing in Soto.

The Lancers would tie the game one inning later as Samantha Demyon singled to right, scoring Kayla Lyon from second. Two batters later, Soto would plate Demyon on a hard-hit single down the right field line.

CBU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, with pinch-runner Riley McDaniel going first-to-third on a Demyon sac bunt and scoring on another sac bunt from Estrada. However, that lead was short-lived as UTA leveled the game at four-all in the top of the fifth on a double to the right center gap.

The next four frames would produce only one hit before the Lancers came up in the bottom of the seventh, looking to end this one in regulation. CBU rattled off two hits with one out and loaded the bases after Westbrook took a pitch to the leg. After a fielder's choice that produced a force out at home, the Lancers were down to their final out with the bases chucked. Maya Martinez took ball one and then fouled off three straight pitches before she sent the next one into right center, easily scoring Soto for the walkout win.

Hosick earned a rare 6.2-inning relief win, striking out a career-high eight along the way. She currently leads the pitching staff with six wins and three saves, all while repping an ERA of just 2.46 and an opposing batting average well below the Mendoza line at .179.

CBU will look to complete the sweep Saturday afternoon as the two teams meet for the final time in the regular season, with the first pitch at Funk Stadium set for 2:00 p.m.