California Baptist University
14-14, 1-0
UT Arlington
9-16, 0-1
Softball Splits Conference Opening Doubleheader Against Lady Mavs
3/15/2024 9:26:00 PM | Softball
ARLINGTON - Friday marked the start of Western Athletic Conference play on the softball schedule, pitting California Baptist against UT Arlington in the Lone Star State. The first game was a wild ride that ultimately ended with the Lancers opening league play with a 12-7 victory before UTA leveled the series with an 11-3 win in the nightcap. The Lancers move to 14-15 overall and 1-1 in the young conference slate with an opportunity to win the series tomorrow.
GAME ONE: CBU 12 - UTA 7
After a two-plus hour delay to start the day due to severe weather in the area, the home side did not delay their scoring, posting four runs in the first and adding another three in the third to quickly make it a 7-0 game in their favor.
The Lancers did not panic. Instead, they clawed back into the game, starting with Malachy Russell-Millen's RBI single in the fourth. Though the bases were loaded and the liner scored just one, it was the jumpstart that CBU needed to get the offense going. The very next inning, freshman Kate Penberthy smashed a home run to center field, scoring Madi Heiner along the way, cutting the deficit to four. Still in the fifth, the bases were loaded once again for Russell-Millen, and this time, she made the Lady Mavs pay with the first grand slam of the year for CBU, doubling as her first homer as a Lancer.
CBU's hot bats continued in the sixth, as Merissa Borkowski singled in another RBI, and the next batter, Maya Martinez, put one in play that scored Penberthy to make it a 9-7 contest. Valerie Alvarez would plate two more in the seventh, and Martinez brought in the 12th score two batters later to reach the final scoreline.
Four Lancers would enter the circle during the first game, with Alyssa Argomaniz, the third hurler, earning the win with two innings of work while allowing three hits and no runs. Presley Hosick would earn a multi-inning save in the process, her third of the season.
GAME TWO: CBU 3 - UTA 11
The second game flipped the script, and it was the Lancers who jumped out to an early lead. Action began with a bang in the second inning as Kate Penberthy launched her second homer of the day even deeper into the center field netting. That solo shot was her third of the season, putting her just one behind team leader Kalena Burns and two RBI behind Kayla Lyon for the top spot.
Priscilla Estrada drove in a pair five at-bats later to get CBU into a three-run lead. That would be about it for the Lancer offense, though, as they would connect on just two more hits in the final four half-innings, they would have the chance. UT Arlington would put up four in the third, two in the fourth, and finish the rally with five runs in the sixth to reach the 11-3 finals.
With more bad weather expected on Saturday, game time for the rubber match has been moved up one hour from the original schedule. The Lancers and Lady Mavs will now toss first pitch at 9:00 a.m. Pacific time on Saturday morning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Argomaniz, Alyssa (2-1)
L: Moreno, Jade (3-3)
S: Hosick, Presley (3)
Batting:
2B: Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Alvarez, Valerie 1
HR: Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Russell-Millen, Malachy 1
RBI: Penberthy, Kate 2 ; Alvarez, Valerie 2 ; Borkowski, Merissa 1 ; Martinez, Maya 2 ; Russell-Millen, Malachy 5
SF: Martinez, Maya 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada , Priscilla 1 ; Lyon, Kayla 1 ; Burns, Kalena 1 ; Heiner, Madi 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 4 ; Alvarez, Valerie 1 ; Borkowski, Merissa 1 ; Martinez, Maya 1 ; Russell-Millen, Malachy 1
HBP: Estrada , Priscilla 1 ; Lyon, Kayla 1
Batting:
HR: Franklin, Lindsey 1 ; Neises, Marley 1
RBI: Franklin, Lindsey 2 ; Castruita, Zaia 1 ; Westbrook, Morgan 1 ; Neises, Marley 3
SH: Castruita, Zaia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Corona, Camille 1 ; Franklin, Lindsey 1 ; Sailor, Kaitlyn 1 ; Donahue, Nikki 1 ; Hampton, Alaina 1 ; Soza, Vanessa 1 ; Neises, Marley 1
