THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - A battle between the top two Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) squads with each vying for first place after the weekend set went to Whittier as Cal Lutheran dropped a series to the Poets for the first time in program history. The teams needed extra innings in the morning during a 7-5 WC win and the nightcap went to the Kingsmen who scored 12 times in the bottom of the seventh to earn a 14-6 victory.
On a day when the senior class of Craig Jacobson, Nicho DellaValle, Tyler Hebda, Jake Petersen and Aaron Roth was recognized before the game and the starting lineup was joined by members of the Conejo Valley Little League Seadogs, it was a first game to forget for the Kingsmen.
CLU did rally back from a 5-0 deficit, scoring four in the fifth and tying things in the bottom of the ninth on a solo homerun from DellaValle, but a pair of Whittier long balls in the 10th led the Poets to the victory.
The teams were scoreless through three and in the top of the fourth inning Whittier benefitted from the struggles of Cal Lutheran pitching combined with some clutch hits as the Poets plated five runs in the frame.
Starting pitcher Tyler Hebda picked off WC cleanup batter Julian Barzilli with help from DellaValle and Davey Casciola for the second out of the frame, but unfortunately, he then allowed three consecutive walks, the final one pushing the first run of the game across the plate. The next pitch he threw was a wild one that allowed in another Poets run, which knocked the senior starter from the game after 3.2 innings. Landry Kiyabu entered, but did not record an out, throwing another wild pitch and allowing a single before Trey Saito forced a fly ball to Caña for the final out of the inning.
The CLU half of the fifth started with a leadoff single from Petersen and Casciola worked a walk, bringing up Collin Crowl who promptly stroked a two-RBI double for the first CLU runs of the afternoon. Another walk was issued to Nathaniel Thompson and a single from Gabe Gunter to right field was accompanied by an error, allowing Crowl to cross the plate. Chris Whitmer drove in Thompson with the final run of the inning to get the Violet and Gold within one.
Aaron Roth (3-2) was tagged with the loss after allowing the two homeruns in extra innings, but he did strike out one in 3.1 innings of action. Ben Cerami, who started the game in the outfield for WC, earned the win and improved to 3-0.
Much the same, game two belonged to Whittier early with a two-RBI double from Stephen Zavala in the third. CLU worked back into contention with a run in each the fourth and fifth to tie things, but the Poets responded with four runs on six hits and two CLU errors in the top of the seventh.
Petersen was part of both scoring plays, hitting the plate on a Casciola single after leading off with a double in the fourth and then driving in Spencer DuBois, who walked, with a hit up the middle in the fifth.
The top of the seventh started strong for CLU as Austin Kay, DellaValle and Crowl combined for a double play. Whittier then ran CLU southpaw Scott Peters from the mound after five consecutive hits, though he struck out six in the game including the side in order in the sixth with one looking and two swinging. Kiyabu (2-0) faced just one batter, getting a fielder's choice, to end the inning and went on to earn the win as the Kingsmen exploded in the bottom of the seventh.
Sending 17 men to the plate, Cal Lutheran combined for 12 hits and 12 runs in the inning with everyone collecting at least one. Ramsey Abushahla connected for a three-run line drive homerun over the left field fence that plated Crowl with the ultimate winning run.
Overall today, Crowl was 4-for-9 with three doubles and four RBIs. DellaValle and Petersen each had four-hit days as well and Caña led the way with a 5-for-9 performance that included two runs and two RBIs. A trio of players, DellaValle, DuBois and Petersen, scored three times apiece. Casciola and DuBois both walked twice and DuBois had the only stolen base of the day for CLU.
Roth also entered the second game, shutting the door in the final two frames with one strike out, though the game was out of reach and no longer a save situation for the CLU closer.
Whittier (20-11, 16-5 SCIAC) looked to Corey Jensen for five hits while Barzilli, Cody Martinez and Graham Pimm notched three apiece. Justin Cheatham was forced from the game in the fourth inning of the second game after taking a line drive off his knee and Mitchell Petersen (0-1) suffered the loss.
Cal Lutheran (23-8, 15-6) will open its final regular season series of the season on Friday, April 18 at home against La Verne. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
Box Score: WC 7, CLU 5 - (10)
Box Score: CLU 14, WC 6
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