THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - The No. 12 Cal Lutheran baseball team won its 12 straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series after splitting with Occidental on Saturday afternoon at Ullman Stadium. In game one, the Kingsmen blew a two run eighth inning lead only to get a walk-off base hit from Atherton Kniseley in the bottom of the ninth to give CLU a 4-3 win. However, game two saw Cal Lutheran commit four errors and muster just five hits in an 11-2 loss to the Tigers.
Occidental scored a run in the top of the first inning in game one when Victor Munoz walked and then later come home on a high fly ball from Chris Caldwell that CLU shortstop Austin Kay lost in the sun and wind.
The Tigers threatened again in the top of the third when Johnathon Brooks led off the inning with a single but CLU starting pitcher Tyler Hedba got Riley Smith to hit a hot shot to third that Davey Casciola snared from his knees, got up and turned a 5-4-3 double play. Hebda would then get Munoz to fly out and end the inning.
Casciola would continue to torment the Tigers in the bottom of the inning when after a Gabe Gunter single, the sophomore third baseman ripped a RBI double into left-center and knotted the game at 1-1.
Hebda cruised through the middle innings, not allowing a run from the second to the sixth. Occidental got a leadoff walk to start the seventh, forcing CLU to go to its bullpen. Kingsmen closer Aaron Roth took to the mound and got CLU out of the jam by getting a foul out and ground out to end the inning.
Finally, Cal Lutheran got some offense when Kay snapped a 0-for-20 streak with an infield single to lead off the bottom of the seventh. Following a sacrifice bunt by Chris Whitmer, Kay took third on a wild pitch. A batter later, Kyle Sanchez gave CLU its first lead of the game when he laced a single through the right side and scored Kay. Later in the inning, Ramsey Abushahla gave CLU a 3-1 lead when he sent a base-hit back up through the box, allowing Sanchez to score.
The Kingsmen would get to within a strike of winning the game but Roth walked nine-hole batter Alec Strain to give the Tigers runners on first and second. Roth, who hadn't allowed a run in SCIAC play, then gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Brooks and Smith and allowed the Tigers to tie the game at 3-3.
CLU would save its best for last however as Occidental relief pitcher David Feasler would get the first two Kingsmen out to start the bottom of the ninth before Sanchez reached on an error by the second baseman. Three pitches later, Sanchez stole second and then advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Up stepped Kniseley, who was hitting in place of Jake Petersen. The sophomore then worked the count full before smashing a fastball back up the middle for the walk-off win.
Hebda (2-1) took a no decision after pitching 6.0 innings and giving up just three hits and one unearned run. Roth (1-0) earned his first win of the year after throwing the final 3.0 innings.
Feasler (1-2) suffered the loss, pitching 0.2 innings and giving up just the one unearned run.
Collin Crowl and Gunter had multi-hit games for the Kingsmen while Brooks and Smith had a two hits apiece for the Tigers.
Game two saw Cal Lutheran struggle at the plate and in the field. CLU batters had just two hits through the first seven innings.
Occidental scored two runs in the fifth then broke the game open with five runs in the sixth after connecting for five straight RBI singles.
Petersen had the first CLU extra-base hit of the day when he doubled down the left field line in the bottom of the eighth. Two batters later, Crowl ripped a RBI single back up the middle to make the score 10-2.
Nolan Watson (2-0) earned the win after pitching 8.0 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out three.
Scott Peters (3-2) suffered the loss, tallying 5.1 innings of work and giving up six runs on eight hits.
Brooks led the Tigers at the plate with a 5-for-6 performance including four RBIs. Charlie Caccamo also chipped in with three hits.
Petersen was 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Kingsmen.
Cal Lutheran (12-4, 9-3 SCIAC) squandered a chance to move into a tie for first place in the SCIAC after Redlands took two of three from first place Whittier this weekend. The Kingsmen will take a break from SCIAC action next week as they travel to Tucson, Ariz. for five non-conference games. CLU opens its spring break trip on March, 20 when it takes on Augsburg (Minn.) at 9:00 a.m.
Game 1 Box Score: CLU 4 OXY 3
Game 2 Box Score: OXY 11 CLU 2
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