RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Tarleton State Baseball (20-29, 8-10 WAC) dropped Sunday's game to the California Baptist Lancers (26-22, 9-9 WAC), losing 5-3 to cap off the weekend stint.

The Purple and White had eight hits while the Lancers posted four. CBU's bullpen tallied four strikeouts compared to Tarleton State's three.

Holt Gibson received the start for the Texans, pitching three innings of work and only allowing one earned run. Gibson notched a team-high two strikeouts and allowed just one hit throughout his performance.

The Lancers took an early lead in the bottom of the second inning thanks to a solo home run from Andrew Walters. Lane Brewster gave the Texans their first hit in the top of the third, knocking a two-out single to center field. Tarleton State was unable to stretch the inning, leaving the game still at 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third frame.

Slade McCloud had a bunt single in the fourth stanza, followed by a stolen base that marked his team-high 14th steal of the season. After the Purple and White failed to score McCloud, Aden Lucas came in to relieve Gibson and held the Lancers scoreless, highlighted by a double play ball to end the inning.

Nicholas Dumesnil lifted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to put CBU up by two runs. After a scoreless sixth stanza, the Lancers took a commanding five run lead in the seventh inning where they accumulated three walks and one hit. The inning was capped off by a two-RBI single from Walters, giving him his third RBI of the ballgame.

In the top of the eighth frame, Brewster achieved his second hit of the afternoon before the Texans went down on a double play. After holding California Baptist scoreless, Tarleton State began a ninth inning rally that started with a lead-off single from Jaime Perez. Carson Lorch extended his hit streak to four games with a single that advanced Perez.

With runners on first and third, Sergio Guerra launched a no-doubter to left field for his second home run in the past two games. This cut CBU's lead to just two runs with only one out on the board. Following Sunday's game, Guerra now leads Tarleton State with a .355 batting average and ranks second among the squad with nine home runs this year. 

After Guerra's heroic homer, Ike Shirey kept the Texans alive with a two-out double. With the tying run at the plate, Tarleton State couldn't come back and ultimately dropped the series finale in Riverside.