MESA, AZ--- Thursday evening proved to be a special night for the California Baptist baseball team as the Lancers earned the program's first postseason win against the three-seeded Utah Valley during the third round of the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. CBU improved to 35-23 on the season and is now 1-3 in postseason play in the NCAA DI era.
After Utah Valley secured an early lead off a CBU throwing error, the Lancers quickly took back a run after the Wolverines walked in the tying run. CBU drove in a pair of runs in the fourth to take control of the contest, while UVU brought in a single run in the fifth to keep the Lancers within arm's reach.
Offensive production ramped up in the top of the seventh for California Baptist, starting with a lead-off walk. Nicholas Dumesnil doubled to put a pair of Lancers in scoring position, and Mitchel Simon grounded out to bring in the first run of the inning. Josh Paino then stepped up to the plate and laid down the perfect bunt, allowing a run to come home while making it to first for a hit. It was Garret Ostrander who cemented the inning and the win for the Lancers after he knocked a two-RBI single that pushed the lead to 7-2, totaling a four-run seventh inning.
Mitchel Simon picked up another RBI in the top of the eighth with a routine single, and while the Wolverines looked to be mounting a comeback in the second-to-last inning, the lone run scored on a double was not enough. Ostrander put a bow on the evening with an RBI single in the top of the ninth before Seth Mattox finished off the final Wolverines.
The California Baptist pitching staff combined for 12 strikeouts on the bump and allowed just a pair of earned runs for a successful night on the mound. Ostrander led the CBU offense after going two for four at the plate and stacking three RBI.
Head Coach Gary Adcock's team will now turn to tomorrow afternoon, where they will play the winner of the one-seed Grand Canyon and seven-seed UTRGV game at 3 p.m. at Hohokam Stadium. California Baptist holds a series loss to GCU and a series win over the Vaqueros during the regular season.
