STEPHENVILLE, TX--- It was a record-breaking day in Texas for the Lancers during the second installment of the weekend series versus Tarleton. California Baptist baseball evened the series with a 22-4 seven-inning win highlighted by eight home runs from eight different Lancers for a program best in the last ten years. The Texans dropped to 12-11 on the year and are now 3-5 in conference play, while the Lancers secured a 14-8 overall record and improved to 4-1 in conference.
The home run derby started right from the get-go for CBU after
Michael Carpentier drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly. Mitch Simon knocked the first ball out of the park with a solo shot in the first inning over left field, giving the Lancers an early 2-0 lead. Tarleton cut the lead in half with their own solo shot, but it was matched yet again with a two-run bomb from
Nicholas Dumesnil for his fifth of the year.
CBU did not limit themselves to running up the score with just home runs. Three runs came in during the third inning off a single and a pair of fielder's choices for a 7-2 lead. The Texans scored for the final time during the third with a two-run homer and solidified a final four runs, but CBU continued to pack in the runs, and with the bases loaded,
Connor McGuire knocked a beautiful grand slam over the left field wall to extend the Lancer's lead yet again.
Matthew Darr cleaned up the fifth inning with a three-run shot as the final four homers came in the seventh. Carpentier opened the inning with a solo leadoff rocket to get things going before
Shayne Simpson followed suit with his own solo homer over right field. A walk and single set
Josiah Chavez up with a trio of RBI after he knocked his first home run of the year, just before
Josh Paino launched his third homer of the year for a pair of RBI.
The Lancers tallied 17 hits across 40 at-bats while limiting the Texans to just 28 at-bats and nine hits through seven innings. Carpentier lead CBU with four hits through the afternoon, picking up a double and a pair of RBI. Darr and McGuire both snagged five RBI with a pair of hits. On the pitching side,
Jacob Wilson tallied his second win of the season after coming in as relief for three innings. As a staff, the Lancers sat down eight Texans.
In the last ten years of the CBU baseball program, the Lancers have at most connected with the bat for six home runs back in 2016 against California State East Bay. Eight home runs in a single game now reign supreme as the new record for California Baptist.
The rubber match between Tarleton and California Baptist is set for 10 a.m. PST on Sunday as the Lancers will look for their second WAC series win of the season, while the Texans will be going for their first.
