Cal Baptist Closer to GSAC Title After Split with APU

AZUSA, Calif. -- Cal Baptist inched closer to it first-ever Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) championship with a 9-5 victory over Azusa Pacific and the second game of a GSAC doubleheader and Azusa Saturday afternoon.

With the victory, the Lancers maintained its 2-game lead over second–place Azusa Pacific with 4 games left on the conference slate. Should Cal Baptist sweet next Saturday's (April 26) GSAC doubleheader at Westmont, the Lancers will clinch the conference crown and earn the right to host the NAIA Far West sectional playoffs, May 13–16.

Robert Murrow hammered a pair of 2-run home runs to lead Cal Baptist to the victory. His first put CBC up 3–0 in the first inning and his second of the game highlighted a 4-run fourth inning in which the Lancers took a comfortable 8–1 lead. Murrow now has 19 home runs on the season with 72 RBIs. In addition, the Lancer victory snapped Azusa Pacific 10-game home field winning streak. The Cougars had not lost in Azusa since Feb. 22.

Azusa Pacific won the first game, 12-9, drilling Lancer pitcher Brian Dawson, who beat the Cougars twice earlier in the season. The Cougars 12-4 after 8 innings before CBC rallied with 6 runs in its final 2 at bats.

On the day, Cougar outfielder Steve Esquivel hit a home run in each game to give him the Azusa Pacific and GSAC record-tying 21 home runs on the season, matching former Cougar Carlos Salazar's number set in 1990.

Lancer second baseman Mario Najarra was 8-for-9 which included 7 consecutive hits on the day.

With the split Azusa Pacific is now 29-13 overall, 14–6 in the GSAC. Meanwhile, Cal Baptist is now 29–12 overall, 16-4 in the GSAC

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