Lancers Close out 2023 Season at WAC Tournament

Thursday, May 11

Phoenix, AZ

4 PM

California Baptist University

28-29

#3 Stephen F. Austin

29-23

SFA

California Baptist

Photo by: Rachel Sollazzo

Lancers Close out 2023 Season at WAC Tournament

5/11/2023 9:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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

PHOENIX – California Baptist University softball closed the 2023 season in Phoenix on Thursday, putting out a valiant effort but ultimately falling just short in extra innings to the 3-seed Stephen F. Austin, 7-6. The Lancers bow out of the double-elimination tournament after three games, claiming the program's first Division I victory on Wednesday against Tarleton State.

SFA 7 – CBU 6 (9 INNINGS)

The Lancer defense kept their impressive weekend going early as Sydney Soto got an inning-ending double play started from her left field position in the top of the first. The bottom of the inning continued the action with CBU scoring three on a single swing as Kayla Lyon smashed another home run, adding to her impressive debut season stat line.

💪🦁 Kayla Lyon is a PROBLEM!! Her team-leading sixth home run of the season puts the Lancers up 3-0 after one inning!#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/xVaJPyrni3
— California Baptist Softball (@CBUSoftball) May 11, 2023

The Lancer defense bent throughout the game but didn't break for much of it, overcoming three separate instances of loaded bases by the Lady Jacks without allowing a run to score and holding SFA hitters to 0-4 with the bases loaded. SFA used a few timely solo home runs to tie the game up in the top of the seventh, eventually leading to extra innings.

The Lady Jacks worked smart in the eighth, earning a leadoff walk, advancing on a sac bunt and a steal of third before scoring on a sacrifice fly. The Lancers came up in the bottom half of the inning with their 2-3-4 hitters due up. They did not disappoint as Natalie Elias led off with a single, moving to second on a Soto sac bunt and scoring on heads-up base running to continue the game into the ninth inning.

The SFA bats came alive, scoring three runs on four hits to take a 7-4 lead into the bottom half of the ninth inning. CBU didn't go away as Molly Kolander, Priscilla Estrada, and Elias reached safely with one out. Sydney Soto came up with the bases loaded and worked up a 2-2 count before singling through the left side to make it 7-5. Amanda Bricker sent a sac fly into deep left field, scoring Estrada, but the Lancers' scoring run would end there with an infield popup to end the game.

The Lancers finish the season with a 28-29 record overall but plenty of milestones and accomplishments to be proud of. When all is said and done, Priscilla Estrada consistently paced the Lancers this season, slashing a fantastic .367/.832/.410 in 56 starts. She led the team with 69 hits and 37 runs scored; both are Division I-era single-season records. Lyon also had a significant impact on the season, leading the team with six home runs and 25 RBIs to lead the team, making her the first freshman to lead the Lancers in both categories in the DI era.

In the circle, Jazmine Castaneda led the staff with an ERA of 2.87 and a team-high eight wins, while freshman Presley Hosick racked up the most strikeouts in 2023 with 46. The freshman duo of Hosick and Carly Limosnero combined to go 9-9 on the season with 60 strikeouts, an ERA of 3.74, and an opponent batting average of .251.

Coming into the season, the Lancers had not been able to secure a no-hitter in the Division I era, but that changed on the first day of the season when Hosick tossed a seven-inning no-no against Wisconsin at the Puerta Vallarta College Classic. That first day of the season saw another highlight moment as true freshman Amanda Bricker homered in her first collegiate at-bat earlier that day against North Carolina. It was the first run scored of the 2023 season and garnered national attention for the monumental moment.

As the season continued, Alyssa Argomaniz and Carly Limosnero joined Hosick in the no-hitter club. Argomaniz threw the first one at the friendly confines of John C. Funk Stadium in a five-inning run-rule win against Wagner on March 4th to close out the Lancer Invitational. Limosnero tossed the first no-hitter against Saint Mary's in the final non-conference game of the season.

CBU will say goodbye to five foundational seniors, Samantha Demyon, Amanda Hernandez, Molly Kolander, Nicole Start, and Deja Westbrook, on Saturday. Still, the future is bright for CBU as so much young talent is set to return to Funk Stadium in 2024!