RIVERSIDE, Calif. – California Baptist scored seven first-inning runs en route to topping Utah Valley, 10-0, in the series opener on Friday evening at Totman Stadium in Riverside. 
 
Chris Burica tossed a five-hit complete-game shutout for the first-place Lancers (22-11, 14-3 WAC) while Mitchel Simon homered twice and drove in five runs to help lead CBU to the game one victory. Dylan Cook had a strong outing in relief and five different Wolverines recorded a hit apiece to lead the way for the Wolverines (7-28, 5-16 WAC) on the night.
 
The Lancers posted a crooked number in the first by scoring seven runs to jump out to a 7-0 advantage. Chad Castillo, Russell Stevenson and David Martin all had RBI hits in the opening frame for CBU but Simon delivered the big blow with a grand slam to left center to extend the lead to 7-0. 
 
California Baptist then added solo runs in each of the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to put the game away. Nick Plaia added a sacrifice fly in the fourth, while Simon homered for the second time of the game in the fifth—this time a solo shot—and Harrison Spohn extended the lead to 10 in the sixth with an RBI double to help CBU to go on and win via the 10-run rule in seven innings.
 
UVU had its best chance to score in the first when Mitch Moralez singled to right, and Alexander Marco followed with a double to right center. Marco then tried to score all the way from first on the play but was cut down at the plate for the second out of the inning. Marco then later reached third on a wild pitch, but CBU starter Burica got Poulsen to ground out to short to escape the jam unscathed. 
 
The southpaw Burica struck out four and allowed just five hits and no runs in the contest on his way to earning the complete-game seven-inning shutout. Burica improves to 6-3 on the season while UVU's Jesse Schmit falls to 1-6. 
 
Despite suffering the setback, a pair of Wolverine relievers posted solid outings on the mound in the contest in Cook and Cole Yocum. Cook allowed just one hit and no runs in 2.2 innings of work, while Yocum came on in jam in the sixth and retired three of the four batters he faced in an inning of scoreless action. 
 
Moralez, Marco, Poulsen, Garrett Broussard and Drew Sims all collected hits in the contest for UVU. John Glenn led CBU by going a perfect 4-for-4 while Simon went 2-for-3 with the two homers and five RBIs. 
 
The two teams will continue the series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. The series will then conclude on Sunday with a 1 p.m. MT/noon PT start. All three games will be streamed live on the WAC Digital Network.