RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Jake Gallaway smoked a sharp ground ball into the hole at short, and Lohr crossed home plate in the 10th inning as host Cal Baptist University walked off with a 4-3 victory over Montana State University Billings in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday night at Totman Field.
Trevor Nix hit a go-ahead RBI-single in the top of the eighth inning, pushing the Yellowjackets ahead 3-2.
The Lancers pieced together a rally in the bottom of the ninth however, and Tyler Johnson came through with a one-out single to left that tied the score at 3-3. After the 'Jackets were silenced in the top of the 10th, CBU loaded the bases with no outs before sealing the win on the base hit.
"I am proud of our pitching staff," said MSUB head coach
Rob Bishop. "They competed all night against a tough team. We missed a couple of early opportunities that cost us. This is a great venue to play in and we will be ready to go tomorrow."
Kyle Durbin,
Brody Miller and Nix each had a pair of hits for the Yellowjackets, who fell to 5-12 on the season with the loss. MSUB starter
Cody Cooper logged five strong innings, striking out five and allowing just two runs on four hits.
Jake Mills (1-1) suffered the loss, but didn't walk a batter while throwing the final 2 1/3 innings out of the bullpen.
For the Lancers (6-6) 10 different players each had a single hit, and CBU managed to earn the victory without the use of an extra-base hit. Both teams left nine runners on base throughout the game, and CBU committed two errors while MSUB had just one.
A single by Miller in the first was the only noise the 'Jackets made against CBU starter Adam Hofacket, and Cooper responded with a 1-2-3 inning to set the tone for the game.
CBU threatened in the second, loading the bases on a two-out walk drawn by Gallaway. Cooper kept his composure however, striking out Luke Navigato and leaving three Lancers on base while avoiding the harm.
The Lancers broke through in the bottom of the third, as Zack Norris drew a leadoff walk and Brian Ruhm followed with a single that pushed the former all the way to third. A bunt single by Andy Crowley plated the first run of the day, and a sacrifice fly from Antonio Chavarria two batters later gave CBU a 2-0 edge.
A leadoff double by Miller in the fourth set MSUB up to respond, but Hofacket pitched around it and retired the next three Yellowjackets.
Both starters did their part to keep the offenses at bay through the middle innings, and the 'Jackets finally got to Hofacket in the seventh. Nix led off with an infield single, and back-to-back walks to
Blake Loran and
Casey Merritt loaded the bases with Yellowjackets.
MSUB plated a run on a ground ball by
Bret Bitow, but it came at the cost of two outs as CBU shortstop Gallaway stepped on second and relayed to first for a twin killing. Durbin stepped up with a clutch two-out single to center that brought home pinch runner
Myles Berkram and tied the score at 2-2.
The Yellowjackets secured the late, 3-2 lead, but the Lancers found a way to force extra innings and use their home field advantage to walk off with the victory.
Hofacket threw 6 2/3 quality innings for CBU, striking out seven and walking three while scattering six hits and allowing a pair of runs. Austen Zimarik (2-2) earned the win for CBU, tossing the final 2 1/3 innings and striking out four with no walks and only two hits allowed against 10 batters.
Cooper was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his strong start.
THE BUZZ: This was the second-straight game MSUB lost by the score of 4-3…MSUB is now 2-2 in extra-inning games this season…with his two hits, Miller moved within seven of tying the all-time career mark of 213.
NEXT UP: The series continues with another night game on Thursday, with a 7 p.m. Mountain time first pitch scheduled at Totman Field. Live video and statistics will be available via
www.msubsports.com.
