THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - On the diamond today it was a baseball battle between the two Violet and Gold Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) teams at Ullman Stadium. It was the host No. 7 Cal Lutheran Kingsmen who stretched their win-streak to nine with an 8-2 victory over Whittier as the Poets skid now sits at six.
Early scoring, 15 total hits with five players earning multi-hit days and solid defense coupled with strong pitching performances from starter Jake Petersen and closer Aaron Roth led CLU to another victory at George "Sparky" Anderson Field.
Petersen (5-1) went 7.0 innings, striking out five and scattering four hits before Roth worked the final 2.0 innings for his seventh save of the spring by striking out a pair and facing just one batter over the minimum. Petersen contributed offensively as well as he and Nicho DellaValle each collected three hits. Additionally, Petersen scored three runs, including the ultimate game winner, driven in by Nick Boggan all three times as the senior first baseman tallied four RBIs.
Cal Lutheran jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead with back-to-back-to-back hits to start the bottom of the first inning with Petersen scoring on a sacrifice fly from Bogganand Nick DeLorenzo doubling in DellaValle.
The second inning was similar with CLU doubling its lead after eight men stepped into the box. Spencer DuBois was hit by a pitch as the first runner of the inning and he came in to score when DellaValle battled to a 10-pitch single down the right field line. Boggan followed with an RBI single of his own just inside the bag past the first baseman, scoring Petersen for a 4-0 advantage.
A defensive showcase from the Kingsmen kept the Poets off the board through the first 2.1 innings. In the first, Petersen combined with Boggan and Trevor Koons to pick off Alex Mitchell who singled to start the game. After a pair of singles in the top of the third, Petersen made a fantastic play fielding a bunt in front of the plate and threw out Mitchell by a step. The next batter would ground out to Garret Smith at second, but a run crossed the plate for the Poets.
In the bottom of the fourth CLU looked poised to earn back the run they surrendered. Petersen and DellaValle both singled, with DellaValle laying down a perfect bunt for a hit, but a diving catch in centerfield by Mitchell was followed by a pair of strike outs to end the threat.
Whittier took the momentum to the plate, cutting the deficit to 4-2 in top of the fifth. A sacrifice fly from Josh Genzuk scored Max Bradshaw who led off with a double to the right centerfield gap. A groundball to Koons deep in the hole at shortstop ended the inning on another defensive gem.
The Kingsmen came back on offense, producing another run by way of a leadoff double from Kevin Leonard and a single up the middle from Smith to again push the lead to three at 5-2.
In the bottom of the eight CLU tacked on three more insurance runs, forcing a pair of pitching changes from the Poets. Smith led off with a single and Petersen followed suit to bump starting pitcher Thomas Hemington from the game. Koons and Boggan hit an RBI single and a two-RBI double, respectively, for the final runs of the afternoon.
Offensively, Petersen was 3-for-4 with a walk and three runs and DellaValle was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Koons and Smith both had two hits, scoring once and driving in one. Boggan was the fifth CLU player with a multi-hit game.
Defensively, Boggan had seven putouts and an assist and DuBois also had seven putouts. Smith had five touches at second base and Koons had four at shortstop. John Leal, who entered as a defensive replacement, caught four fly balls in right field for the Kingsmen.
Five different Poets recorded a hit. Hemington (3-4) was tagged with the loss after going 7.0 innings.
Cal Lutheran (23-6-1, 16-3 SCIAC) and Whittier (11-19, 8-11) will conclude their three-game series tomorrow at Memorial Field. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m.
Box Score: CLU 8, WC 2
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