California Baptist University
20-25, 8-8
Utah Tech
15-28, 6-13
Lancers Sweep Friday's Doubleheader At Utah Tech
4/18/2025 6:31:00 PM | Softball
ST. GEORGE, UTAH - California Baptist University softball has a long history against Utah Tech, as the two sides came into this series even at 25-25 in the past 50 meetings since 2007. Today's doubleheader sweep in favor of CBU ensures that the Lancers will hold an edge over the Trailblazers at least into next season, taking Friday's games 10-3 and 7-3. The wins bump the Lancers' record up to 21-25 overall and 9-8 in the Western Athletic Conference, where they now sit alone in third place after Seattle dropped their doubleheader to Southern Utah this afternoon.
GAME ONE: CBU 10 - UTAH TECH 3
Game one was all CBU from the start. The Lancers struck early, spotting starting pitcher Morgan McConnell a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning courtesy of Kalena Burns' seventh home run of the season. After UT took back two runs in the bottom of the first, CBU would add to their lead in the top of the second, starting with a two-run shot from Makenna Dashiell. Priscilla Estrada smacked an RBI double to left center, scoring Malachy Russell-Millen, and a wild pitch walk of Kate Penberthy would score Estrada to make it 7-2 after two.
Burns would lace her first triple as a Lancer in the fourth inning, scoring pinch runner Savannah Gatewood on the swing, followed by an RBI single from Sydney Soto to make it 9-2. Estrada's third hit of the day would score Stevie Robison to reach the Lancer's final total of ten runs. The Trailblazers would recover one run in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too late from the home team.
Reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week, McConnell tossed her third complete game in four outings, allowing eight hits but just three earned runs to go with two strikeouts on just 90 pitches. The win is McConnell's seventh of the year and 21st of her career, giving her sole possession of third place in the Division I record books for career wins.
GAME TWO: CBU 7 - UTAH TECH 3
The sequel was a very different game to start, as CBU and UT were struggling to collect hits in the first four innings, let alone runs. A single unearned run in the top of the fourth broke the scoreless deadlock before CBU broke the game wide open with five runs in the fifth. Penberthy and Ashlee Annett poked RBI singles into the grass, scoring Matti Severns and Estrada to get things going. Momentum swung entirely in the Lancers' direction when the next batter to step up was Kalena Burns, who stroked her second homer of the day over the fence for three more runs, making it 6-1 CBU.
The Blazers would add two more runs on a two-run home run in the sixth to make it 6-3, but Penberthy would give the Lancers some of that insurance back with a solo shot in the top of the seventh to make it 7-3. Starter Lili Arana allowed three earned in 5.1 innings pitched on her way to her seventh win of the season. She was picked up by Annika Hollingsworth in the sixth when it was a 6-3 game, and the freshman put her foot down to the tune of no hits and a strikeout in 1.2 innings pitched, which was her first career save as a Lancer.
The Lancers will look to complete their first series sweep of the 2025 season in tomorrow's finale at Karl Brooks Field. Game three is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. Pacific time first pitch.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Arana, Lili (7-2)
L: Riley Price (6-8)
S: Hollingsworth, Annika (1)
Batting:
HR: Penberthy, Kate 1 ; Burns, Kalena 1
RBI: Penberthy, Kate 2 ; Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Burns, Kalena 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Severns, Matti 1 ; Estrada , Priscilla 1 ; Penberthy, Kate 2 ; Annett, Ashlee 1 ; Gatewood, Savannah 1 ; Burns, Kalena 1
SB: Soto, Sydney 1
Batting:
2B: Ellie Evans 1
HR: Rylie Haith 1
RBI: Rylie Haith 2 ; Marisa Rubio 1
SF: Marisa Rubio 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Carly Eldredge 1 ; Rylie Haith 2
