Lancers Complete Three-Game Series at UC Davis

Sunday, February 25

Davis, CA

1:00 PM

California Baptist University

7-7

UC Davis

6-4

California Baptist

UC Davis

Photo by: Daniel Cook

Lancers Complete Three-Game Series at UC Davis

2/25/2024 4:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

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

DAVIS, CA - California Baptist University softball returns home on Sunday without a win on this trip, falling to UC Davis in the final game of the series, 5-4. All three games were tightly contested, but solid Aggie pitching and a few debatable officiating calls going against the Lancers secured the series win for Davis.

The Lancers got off to a solid start, plating three in the top of the first and continuing that success by sitting down the first three batters for UC Davis in order on six pitches. Kalena Burns brought in the first two runs after Priscilla Estrada and Merissa Borkowski reached safely on a double and a single, respectively. Madi Heiner scored as a pinch runner in the next at-bat courtesy of a Kayla Lyon double.

The Lancers were held in check in the top of the second and the Aggies went to work in the bottom half of the inning. The first two batters reached on singles, and the first scored on a wild pitch. The next batter had the Lancer dugout, fans, and even home broadcasters wondering about the strike zone after a borderline ball call in the fifth pitch of the 10-pitch at-bat kept the battle going. Instead of being the first out of the inning, the Aggie batter doubled to the wall, scoring another run with still no outs on the board. A few more free bags, RBI outs, and a sacrifice later, the Aggies had taken a 5-3 lead.

Each pitcher faced the minimum in the third, but then CBU found their momentum again in the top of the fourth. They eventually loaded the bases with two outs with Estrada at the plate. She smacked a single into left, scoring Lyon from third. The third out came during a hotly contested no-call on the field as pinch runner Raegan Cheyne went from second to third, but the Aggie shortstop ran into her on the basepath. Broadcasters noted that obstruction had been called on the field as Chayne was heading home. She was thrown out in plenty of time, but the obstruction call was not held up, thus resulting in the third out instead of Cheyne either being safe at third or scoring at home, leaving it a 5-4 game.

Only two more baserunners would reach safely after that point as pitching shut down any other action on both sides of the game.

CBU will return home next weekend for the Lancers Invite, hosting ten games in three days with an eclectic group of softball programs making up the tournament participants in Cal Poly, Idaho State, and St. John's. CBU will start the long weekend on Friday against Cal Poly and St. John's at 3:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively.