THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - After edging Pomona-Pitzer by one run in the series opener on Friday night, the No. 24 Cal Lutheran baseball team rallied from behind in both games on Saturday to complete the series sweep. The Kingsmen took another one-run victory with a 3-2 win in game one before rallying for an 8-5 win in the nightcap at Ullman Stadium.
In the first game of the afternoon, the Sagehens jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead after piecing together four hits in the top of the first.
After four scoreless innings to follow, the Kingsmen evened up the score at 2-2 with four hits of their own in the fifth. With one out, Max Weinstein, Sinjin Todd and Gabe Gunter singled to load the bases and Jimmy Jauregui drove in Weinstein with a base hit while Todd came around to score on an error by the left fielder.
In the sixth inning, Brad Fullerton reached on an error and came around to score the game-winning run on a double to left by Austin Kay.
After allowing two runs early, starting pitcher Nate Wehner (3-2)settled into a groove and completed eight strong innings, scattering 10 hits while walking one and striking out one. Miguel Salud pitched a perfect ninth to notch his third save of the year.
At the plate, Weinstein, Gunter and Weston Clark each tallied two hits apiece for the Violet and Gold.
In game two, the Sagehens started hot once again, putting up three quick runs after poking three hits and capitalizing on a CLU error.
The Kingsmen, however, bounced back much quicker with two runs in the bottom half of the first. With one out, Alec Iniguez drew a walk and was followed by a Gunter single and a Jauregui walk to load the bases. Cheynne Giles drew a bases loaded walk to bring in a run and a Fullerton fielder's choice brought home Gunter.
The Sagehens tacked on another run in the second, but CLU scored two in the fourth, on a two-RBI single up the middle by Kay, to tie the game 4-4.
In the sixth inning, Tanner Nishioka, the NCAA Division III leader in homeruns, blasted his 11th of the year to give the Sagehens the lead once again, 5-4, in a back-and-forth affair.
Continuing his hot day at the plate, Kay got things going for the Kingsmen with a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. Weinstein followed with a single as well as Iniguez, who drove in Kay on a line drive base hit to center. One batter later, Jauregui came up clutch with a two-RBI single up the middle and Matt Sciumbato provided an RBI single to left to cap of the scoring and put CLU ahead 8-5.
Troy Frazier (1-0) earned his first career win after throwing 6.2 innings in relief and allowing just one earned run and seven hits while striking out two. Salud picked up his second save of the day with a scoreless ninth inning.
Kay finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run to lead the Kingsmen at the plate while Weinstein and Sciumbato provided two hits apiece.
Cal Lutheran (14-6, 7-5 SCIAC) is winners of 11 of its last 13 games, including seven in a row and welcomes Linfield (12-8) for a non-conference game this Monday, Mar. 27 at 3:00 p.m. inside Ullman Stadium.
Box Score: CLU 3, PP 2
Box Score: CLU 8, PP 5
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