Lancers Claim Series Over UTA with Strong Pitching and Clutch Hitting
4/12/2025 4:12:00 PM | Softball
RIVERSIDE - California Baptist University softball won Saturday's rubber match against UT Arlington, 2-1, to earn its second-straight and third conference series win of the year. Now at 7-8 in the Western Athletic Conference standings, CBU stands tied for fifth with Abilene Christian and one game behind the Mavericks and Seattle U for third place.
Priscilla Estrada was today's hero, going 3-4 at the plate with both Lancer RBIs and helping turn a crucial double play to end the fourth inning. Her first RBI opened up the scoring in the bottom of the second, as she poked one into center field, scoring pinch runner Savannah Gatewood from second to take a 1-0 lead.
The Mavs would tie the game in the top of the third on a solo shot to left field but would be held to just one more hit for the rest of the game. The deciding run came in the bottom of the 6th as Estrada came up to bat with two out and runners on first and second. She went opposite field this time, slapping a blooper into shallow left field where the speed of pinch runner Lext Lopez took over, scoring her from second. Starting pitcher Morgan McConnell would need just nine pitches to induce a pair of line outs and a ground out to end the game and the series.
McConnell was lights out this weekend, winning both games against UTA with a combined stat line of 10 innings pitched with a 1.08 ERA, two earned runs allowed, just six hits, and seven strikeouts. The win was noteworthy on a higher level and marked McConnell's 20th career win for CBU, placing her in a tie for fourth in the Division I era with Presley Hosick and Alyssa Argomaniz. The next spot on the list is within reach, though, as former WAC Pitcher of the Year Kerisa Viramontes sits next in the rankings with 22 wins while Jazmine Castaneda sits comfortably atop the DI rankings with 28 wins.
The Lancers will return on the road for Easter Break, stopping in Las Vegas for a midweek single against UNLV on Wednesday before continuing to St. George, Utah, to resume WAC play against Utah Tech.
