California Baptist University
0-1
#2 Oklahoma
3-0
Lancers Split Opening Day Action In Fullerton With A Win Over Southern
2/7/2025 11:00:00 PM | Softball
FULLERTON - California Baptist University softball opened the 2025 season against #2 Oklahoma on Friday afternoon as the front end of a doubleheader that closed out with a late afternoon tilt against Southern University. The Sooners chipped away and eventually claimed an 8-0 victory in five innings, but the Lancers rebounded well and claimed their own 11-3 win over the Jaguars in five innings.
GAME ONE: #2 OKLAHOMA 8 - CBU 0
Facing the four-time reigning national champions was a daunting task, to begin with, but having the schedule flipped to play them as the season opener brought a whole different element to the game. The Lancers showed well, especially on the defensive end, but eventually, the Sooner bats and pitching took control.
Starter Morgan McConnell got into a bases-loaded situation, and twice she worked her way out, inducing a fly out in the bottom of the first and a line out in the bottom of the third. The Sooner bats never broke wild against the senior as they are known to do but rather chipped away, posting scoring efforts of two, one, two, and three after a scoreless first inning. Freshman Annika Hollingsworth made her collegiate debut in the fifth inning against Oklahoma and announced her arrival with authority, striking out the first Sooner she faced.
GAME TWO: Southern 3 - CBU 11
What was originally supposed to be the first game of the year for CBU was pushed back due to morning rain showers, but that didn't make much of a difference as the Lancers belted three home runs on their way to a runaway victory against the Jaguars.
CBU wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in game two, starting the game with four straight singles from Priscilla Estrada, Stevie Robison, Kate Penberthy, and Kalena Burns. Penberthy's shot to right center scored Estrada and Robison and began the offensive onslaught. An unearned run in the second pushed the Lancer lead to four before CBU opened the floodgates.
The third inning began with Penberthy's second single of the game, which was followed by the first Lancer longball of 2025 from Kalena Burns, a towering no-doubter over the left field wall. Three pitches later, Ashlee Annett matched Burns' effort and put a solo shot over the wall, just barely staying fair and hitting the foul pole on the way over for confirmation. The home run was just the second of her Lancer career and the first since April 2023.
A quiet top of the fourth led to a fifth inning to remember. A walk, a fielder's choice, and another walk led to Penberthy's fourth at-bat of the night being set up for greatness. The sophomore immediately got what she wanted and smashed the first pitch she saw over the fence for her second career grand slam. The slam put the Lancers up 11-1 and in absolute control of the game.
Lili Arana made her collegiate pitching debut against the Jaguars after spending all of 2024 dealing with injuries. The wait was worth it as Arana, after walking her first two batters in the top of the first, the redshirt freshman walked only one more all game, struck out seven, and allowed one earned on four hits, with her seven strikeouts being the most by a single CBU pitcher since Jazmine Castaneda did it to UC San Diego on March 9, 2024.
Saturday's slate should pose unique challenges to the Lancers as they prepare to take on the Nevada Wolfpack and the Lehigh Mountain Hawks at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., respectively. This doubleheader is part of the Mark Campbell Classic in Irvine at Bill Barber Park.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arana, Lili (1-0)
L: Jordynn Jennings (0-2)
Batting:
2B: Alvarez, Valerie 1
HR: Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Burns, Kalena 1 ; Annett, Ashlee 1
RBI: Penberthy, Kate 6 ; Burns, Kalena 2 ; Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Alvarez, Valerie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada , Priscilla 1 ; Robison, Stevie 1 ; Goins, Jasmine 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 2 ; Burns, Kalena 1 ; Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Soto, Sydney 1 ; Lopez, Laci 1 ; Krueger, Mia 1 ; Russell-Millen, Malachy 1
HBP: Russell-Millen, Malachy 1
Batting:
2B: Makyia Taylor 1
HR: Kira Johnson 1
RBI: Makyia Taylor 1 ; Kira Johnson 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Alissa Castaneda 1 ; Calli Schell 1 ; Kira Johnson 1
