March 28, 2006

By MICAH MCDANIEL, CBU Sports Information

SAN DIEGO, Calif. --- The NAIA's No. 1-ranked softball team, California Baptist University, set a new NAIA record with its 32^nd straight win in the opener, but quickly saw the streak come to an end in the nightcap Saturday and had to settle for a split with No. 7 Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.).

The Lancers earned a 1-0, 8-inning win in the opener but dropped the nightcap, 2-1.

With the split, the Lancers are now 32-1 overall, 7-1 GSAC. The Sea Lions are now 28-7, 8-1. 

What rapidly became a neck-and-neck, two-team race for the GSAC title between the Sea Lions and Lancers didn't get any clearer today as the teams had to settle for a split. CBU and PLNU were the only teams with no GSAC losses coming into the game, while the next closest teams--Concordia and Biola each had 4.

The opener was a dazzling pitcher's duel between All-American Candice Thomas and KC Robertson. Thomas went eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out three. Meanwhile, Robertson also went eight innings, allowing three hits and one unearned run while striking out two. Thomas picked up the win to move to 19-0 on the season.

With the exception of a Geanie Jenkins triple to lead off the second and a one-out Tami Trujillo double in the fourth, neither team was able to mount a serious threat. The Sea Lions put just one runner on second base.

The nightcap was just as nail-biting as the opener. Sarah Sherman and Katie McColeman matched each other in the circle for 6 solid innings apiece.

The Lancers, who had just 4 hits, broke through a scoreless game in the sixth when Trujillo doubled in Chantal Millard, who had a one-out single. Trujillo advanced to third on a groundout but was unable to score, leaving the door open for the Sea Lions.

Mackenzie Gerke led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to center and moved to second when the ball was misplayed. Sherman got Amy Nanson to pop up to first, but Ruth Atkins doubled in Gerke to tie the game. Two batters later, Paige Powell delivered a 2-out, RBI-double of her own to give the Sea Lions a 2-1 lead.

Robertson then entered the circle and worked a perfect seventh to close out the win and earn the save.

Sherman (11-1) scattered 6 hits, allowing just one earned run while striking out 4.