CLAREMONT, Calif. - Freshman Kyle Sanchez hit his first career homerun and senior pitcher Tyler Hebda threw 7.1 innings and propelled No. 3 Cal Lutheran to a 5-4 victory in game one against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Saturday. However, in game two the Kingsmen stranded 11 bases runners and fell 6-2 to the Stags in the night-cap. Despite the loss, Cal Lutheran still won its 14th straight Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series and reached the 22-win plateau for the 20th time in the last 21 seasons.
After coming from behind for a 9-7 victory on Friday, Cal Lutheran got off to a much better start on Saturday as it raced out to a 3-0 lead after three innings. Sanchez launched a solo shot in the top of the second to get CLU on the board and later in the inning Collin Crowl singled and then scored on a wild-pitch. The Kingsmen tacked on another run in the top of the third when Justin Cana doubled and then scored on a Jake Petersen single.
Hebda cruised through the first four innings, allowing just two hits. The right-hander ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fifth when Samuel Woodman doubled and Scott Witte singled on back-to-back at-bats to give CMS its first run of the game. Later in the inning, Jack Witte connected for a two-run homerun to tie the game at 3-3.
The Kingsmen would come right back however as Ramsey Abushahla doubled to right-center and then was brought home on an RBI-single from Davey Casciola.
Hebda (5-1) would shut down CMS in the sixth and seventh inning before surrendering a one-out single to Michael Erb in the bottom of the eighth and giving way to CLU closer Aaron Roth. Erb then stole second and later scored on a Ray Hurwitz base hit that knotted the score at 4-4.
After Roth got a ground-out to end the bottom of the eighth, Abushahla led off the top of the ninth with a single and then advanced to second on a passed ball. Following a ground-out where Abushahla moved to third, the sophomore right fielder tagged up on a Nick Cohan sacrifice fly and raced home for the go-ahead run.
Roth allowed two hits in the bottom of the ninth including allowing runners to get to second and third but the senior picked up his SCIAC-leading eighth save of the year when he struck out Yoni Hendel to end the game.
Abushahla had three hits to lead the Kingsmen while J. Witte was 2-for-5 with two RBIs for the Stags.
In game two, Cal Lutheran had a base runner reach in every inning but was just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps scored two runs in fifth, sixth, and seventh innings including a two-run homerun from S. Witte to put the Stags up 6-0.
The Kingsmen staged a late rally, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth but it was too little too late as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps picked up its fifth conference win of the season.
CLU starter Scott Peters (4-3) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in throwing 5.0 innings of work. He also struck out six.
Woodman (3-1) earned the win for the Stags, throwing 5.0 scoreless innings.
Petersen had three hits in the night-cap including his team-leading 13th double of the season. Sinjin Todd also had a single and stolen base for the Kingsmen.
Cal Lutheran (22-6, 14-4 SCIAC) will be back action next Friday, April 11, for its biggest series of the year. The Kingsmen travel to fellow SCIAC-leader Whittier for the series opener with the first pitch set for 3:00 p.m.
Game 1 Box Score: CLU 5 CMS 4
Game 2 Box Score: CMS 6 CLU 2
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