Three Home Runs Ensure Home Victory for Lancers

Saturday, February 24

Riverside, Calif.

5:00 PM

California Baptist University

4-3

UC Riverside

3-4

UC Riverside

California Baptist

Photo by: Rayleigh Rogers

Three Home Runs Ensure Home Victory for Lancers

2/24/2024 9:05:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Mariah Rodriguez, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications and Digital Media

RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist Baseball program secured their fourth win of the young 2024 season on Saturday evening after downing UC Riverside 6-2 in the third match-up of the four-game series. Three Lancers added home runs to their stat lines, including Mitchel Simon who now leads the program in career home runs and RBI in the Division I era.

𝐇𝐢𝐦.

Mitch Simon now holds CBU's Division I Era record for most career home runs and RBI🚨#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/dRJFtEML8n
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 25, 2024

After a quiet pair of innings, the Highlanders attacked first with a two-RBI single to take an early lead while scoring their only two runs of the evening. The Lancers responded well as Simon launched a 400 ft. home run over the center field wall to cut UCR's lead in half. The junior now has 41 career home runs in a CBU uniform, while notching 143 RBI over the last three seasons.

Gunner Antillon stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning and delivered a double into right field that brought home Julian Alvarez to tie the game 2-2. UCR managed to get a runner on first in the sixth, but Nathan Hemmerling shut the door with two outs on the fourth batter of the inning to keep the Lancers ahead. CBU continued to connect with the bat as Garret Ostrander found his way on base with a single, while Josh Paino was walked. Jake Brown ripped his third home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth with a triple RBI to give the Lancers the lead.

Jake Brown when it matters: 💰#LanceUp⚔️ pic.twitter.com/4l3hAm033L
— California Baptist Baseball (@CBUbaseball) February 25, 2024

Leading off in the eighth, Nicholas Dumesnil put the nail in the coffin with a single shot for his first home run of the year and solidified a final 6-2 victory. Hemmerling picked up his first pitching win of the year as he dealt four innings and collected four strikeouts along the way. Offensively, Brown had a day at the plate and picked up a pair of hits while tallying three RBI. California Baptist is now 4-3 on the year and leads the series against the Highlanders 2-1.