California Baptist University
9-10
Cal Poly
10-9
Lancers Walk-Off Cal Poly in the Ninth
3/3/2024 6:37:00 PM | Softball
RIVERSIDE - Weather pushed this three-day tournament to four, but it was worth the wait as California Baptist softball finished Sunday evening with a dramatic come-from-behind walk-off win against Cal Poly, 6-5, in nine innings.
The Mustangs got the scoring started in the top of the third, plating three, but only one was earned after a CBU error extended the inning. CBU was ready to answer, though, and did so with back-to-back homers in the bottom of the fourth. The first came from the team leader in dingers, Kalena Burns, who crushed one over the left field fence, bringing Kayla Lyon home with her.
The second long ball came in the next at-bat as true freshman Kate Penberthy put her first one over the fence at Funk, tying the game at 3-3.
Both team's relief pitchers worked hard and effectively after that, allowing no runs, while CBU's Jazmine Castaneda allowed three hits but came out clean every time. Naturally, the final game of the extra long tournament weekend made it to extra innings, where Cal Poly took advantage of the runner placed on second, sac-bunting her over to third and sac-flying her home to take a 4-3 lead. The Lancers intended to employ the same strategy, with Priscilla Estrada bunting Bobbiann Pratt over to third, but an attempted slap in the next at-bat didn't go as planned, bringing the Lancers to their final out down a run still. Kayla Lyon wasn't worried about that and smacked an RBI double to left center, bringing home Pratt and sending the game to the ninth.
The Mustangs would plate their free runner in the top of the ninth, again putting the pressure on the Lancers to come up with something in the bottom half of the inning. Maya Avila would level the game again with a pinch-hit RBI that scored pinch-runner Cayla Crawford, still with no outs. Tied at 5-5, the next two Lancers would go down swinging before Cal Poly would choose to intentionally walk Priscilla Estrada to load the bases with two outs. Merissa Borkowski was hitless in the game as she walked up to the plate but put the first she saw in play to the shortstop and beat out the throw, winning the game for CBU in walk-off fashion.
The Lancers closed the weekend 2-3 in the tournament and 9-10 overall. Lyon led CBU at the plate, going 6-16 (.375) with three extra-base hits, three RBIs, and a run scored. Jazmine Castaneda earned both of CBU's wins this weekend, doing so without allowing an earned run in the process and allowing just six hits in 11 innings pitched.
The Lancers are back at it on Wednesday night, playing a single game against Fairfield University at 6:00 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Castaneda, Jazmine (2-1)
L: Sophia, Ramuno (2-4)
Batting:
RBI: Diaz, Xiara 1 ; Blanchard, Kiara 1
SH: Diaz, Xiara 1 ; Perez, Mia 1 ; Garza, Mylina 1
SF: Blanchard, Kiara 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Sargent, Juju 1 ; Clements, Jessica 2 ; Diaz, Xiara 1 ; Allman, Caroline 1
CS: Clements, Jessica 1
Batting:
2B: Lyon, Kayla 2 ; Avila, Maya 1
HR: Burns, Kalena 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 1
RBI: Borkowski, Merissa 1 ; Lyon, Kayla 1 ; Burns, Kalena 2 ; Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Avila, Maya 1
SH: Estrada , Priscilla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lyon, Kayla 1 ; Burns, Kalena 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Crawford, Cayla 1 ; Soto, Sydney 1 ; Pratt, Bobbiann 1
HBP: Lyon, Kayla 1
