California Baptist University
13-16, 2-2
Southern Utah
8-18, 3-4
Softball Splits Friday Doubleheader With SUU, Makes History in Game Two Win
3/21/2025 9:03:00 PM | Softball
CEDAR CITY, UTAH - Fans watching Friday's doubleheader against Southern Utah saw two very different games as the Thunderbirds took a defensive battle in game one 5-4 before California Baptist claimed a run-rule victory in the highest-scoring game of the Division I era, 18-10. The split leaves the Lancers within one game of .500 at 15-16 (3-2 WAC).
GAME ONE: CBU 4 - SUU 5
Friday's action began with both teams finding a bit of offense early. CBU started the game off with a two-out RBI by Ashlee Annett, scoring Priscilla Estrada to go up 1-0. That lead wouldn't last long though, as SUU would also plate one on an RBI single in the bottom of the inning. The second inning was a near mirror image of the first, with Estrada batting in a run and immediately being matched by the Thunderbirds to make it 2-2.
The bats would go collectively quiet for two and a half innings until SUU put up a three-run bottom of the fifth. The Lancers would rally in the sixth, loading the bases on a walk, a single, and hit by pitch. The Lancers hit a rough patch there as the next two batters couldn't score a run, but Kate Penberthy would come through for CBU, cracking a two-run single to close the gap to just one run. The Lancers would not be able to find those elusive fifth or sixth runs, though, and ultimately fell to the home team in the opener.
GAME TWO: CBU 18 - SUU 10
The follow-up to the afternoon game was a barn burner from the first inning. SUU took control in the bottom of the first with a four-run bottom of the frame. The Lancers would answer with five of their own on five singles, a walk, and an error to take a 5-4 lead. However, the Thunderbirds were still swinging well from the first inning and tied the game up before the end of the second inning.
CBU would cash in the first homer of the game in the third, Sydney Soto's second of the season, which also brought in pinch-runner Savannah Gatewood to go up 7-5. The next batter, freshman Stevie Robison, liked what she saw and launched her first career home run to bump the lead to three. The TBirds would answer with two in the bottom of the third to keep the Lancers within reach.
Two more singles in the top of the sixth set up Robison for another swing at glory, punching a double to left field, scoring Soto and Ashlee Annett to break double digits at 10-7. SUU was pesky, though, and leveled the game with a two-run home run and a solo shot in the bottom of the fourth.
A two-RBI double from Kate Penberthy and an RBI double from Annett gave CBU some breathing room at 13-10 and no outs. SUU would elect to make their third pitching change of the game at that point, but it turned out to be a moot point as Soto was on fire in game two and smashed her second home run of the game, a two-run shot, to boost the CBU lead to five.
The Lancers would keep the Thunderbirds scoreless for the first time in game two in the bottom of the fifth inning, giving CBU an opportunity to end it early. They took that opportunity and ran with it as Penberthy scored with a sac fly RBI before Annett blasted her second home run of the season to left field, reaching the magic eight-run mark before the third out. SUU would challenge in the bottom half of the inning with runners on second and third with two outs, but Morgan McConnell would induce a lazy flyout to center field to end the game.
The second game checked a lot of milestone boxes for CBU, including the most home runs hit in a single Division I game (four) and the most runs scored in a single Division I game (18). This also marked the second time a player has had multiple homers in the same game this season, as Soto joins Kalena Burns with that accomplishment this year when Burns did it against Lehigh in early February. Finally, Annett posted the first 5-for-5 game this season for the Lancers with three singles, a double, and a home run, the first Lancer to hit that benchmark since Alissa Montes De Oca did it also against Southern Utah on April 11, 2023.
The rubber match is scheduled for tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. Pacific time on ESPN+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arana, Lili (5-0)
L: R. Nielson (0-3)
Batting:
2B: Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Robison, Stevie 1
HR: Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Soto, Sydney 2 ; Robison, Stevie 1
RBI: Severns, Matti 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 3 ; Annett, Ashlee 3 ; Soto, Sydney 4 ; Robison, Stevie 5 ; Krueger, Mia 1
SH: Severns, Matti 1
SF: Penberthy, Kate 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Estrada , Priscilla 3 ; Severns, Matti 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Annett, Ashlee 4 ; Gatewood, Savannah 1 ; Soto, Sydney 4 ; Robison, Stevie 2 ; Krueger, Mia 1 ; Goins, Jasmine 1
CS: Robison, Stevie 1
Batting:
2B: A. Boostedt 1
HR: A. Ramirez 1 ; A. Boostedt 1
RBI: M. Salvatier 1 ; A. Miranda 1 ; A. Ramirez 2 ; K. Munoz 2 ; A. Boostedt 2 ; A. Toscano 1 ; T. Mozeris 1
SH: A. Toscano 1
Base Running:
RUNS: M. Salvatier 2 ; L. Cooke 1 ; A. Miranda 1 ; A. Ramirez 2 ; K. Munoz 1 ; A. Boostedt 2 ; T. Mozeris 1
SB: M. Salvatier 1 ; Ta. Hokanson 1
