RIVERSIDE--- Freshman Lukas Pirko was the name to know during the second installment of the Crosstown Showdown against UC Riverside on Friday evening. The rookie delivered eight strikeouts during his second start as Lancer, helping the program to its third win of the season in a 12-3 victory over the Highlanders. CBU improves to 3-3 on the season and evens the series against UCR.

After Pirko sat down three Highlanders in the first, the Riverside rivals would hold each other scoreless through the third inning. The Lancers put a pair on the board in the top of the third after Cole Howarth drove in two runs off a single through the left side. Gary Adcock's team continued to hold the Highlanders without a run and struck again in the top of the sixth offensively. Jake Skipworth tallied an RBI single, while Garret Ostrander's double brought in a pair of runs to lengthen the Lancer's lead. Michael Carpentier closed out the inning with an RBI single to push the Lancers to six.

UC Riverside did not go down without a fight and strung together three runs in the bottom of the seventh, putting themselves within three of tying the game. California Baptist responded well and laced another four runs in the eighth for a 10-3 lead before Mitch Simon hit a two-run single to finalize a 12-3 victory.

Pirko threw another impressive outing as a true freshman from the mound and now leads the Lancer pitching staff in strikeouts at 14. Howarth led the offense with three RBI on a pair of hits as the Lancers tied for their second-most hits in a single game this season at 11. 

The Crosstown Showdown returns to Totman Stadium on Saturday at 5 p.m. for the third match-up against the Highlanders.