ORANGE, Calif. - Saturday at Hart Park the Cal Lutheran baseball team met Chapman for a continuation of the first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series of the spring, earning a split after a pair of run-shortened games. CU stole the first 12-2 in eight innings before CLU won the second 11-1 in seven.
CU def. CLU 12-2 (8 innings)
The first game belonged to the Panthers who started the day with a 7-0 lead, knocking starting pitcher Nate Wehner (1-2) from the mound without recording an out after allowing four runs. Ryan Bill took over and tossed 5.1 innings, allowing six more runs before Tyler Nevins and Mitchell Shields combined for the final 2.1 innings of scoreless baseball, tallying a total of three strikeouts. Offensively, CLU scored in the third and added a second run in the fifth on a day when Davey Casciola and Chad Clark collected two hits apiece with an RBI and a run, respectively. Justin Caña drove in the other and Austin Kay represented the second run.
CLU def. CU 11-1 (7 innings)
The Kingsmen responded with a blowout of their own in game two. CLU scored four in the top of the first and added three in the second, tacking on three more in the sixth and a final run in the seventh to force a shortened game. The bats exploded for 18 hits with Jimmy Jauregui going 4-for-5 with four RBIs and two runs. Gabe Gunter finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and Casciola, C. Clark, Ramsey Abushahla and Weston Clark added two hits apiece. Both Casciola and C. Clark scored three times and Abushahla and W. Clark each drove in a pair. On the hill, Marshall Pautsch (1-1) earned his first win of the spring after working 6.0 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just a single run while striking out seven. Evan Peterson threw the final frame, retiring the side in order with one strike out.
Notables: Jauregui surpassed his season hit total in game two with four. Brad Fullerton and Max Weinstein each made his SCIAC debut today.
Up Next: Cal Lutheran (4-4, 2-1 SCIAC) continues SCIAC play with a series against Caltech on Friday and Saturday, March 4-5. First pitch on Friday is set for 2:30 p.m. in Pasadena.
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