THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In the first game of the series, the Cal Lutheran baseball team put up a thrilling 20-run performance to obliterate the Whitman Blues.

Starting pitcher Luke Wechsler shut down the Blues offense with five scoreless innings and eight strikeouts, holding Whitman to just two hits. 

The Kingsmen took a 1-0 lead in the second inning with a sac-fly from Carlos Vega, and tacked on two more in the third off a Whitman wild pitch and an RBI double from Troy Anderson. In the fourth inning, Vega continued to add to the CLU lead with an RBI single and a run on a wild pitch to increase the lead to 5-0.

Cal Lutheran took control of the game in the fifth inning with six more runs to take an 11-run advantage. The inning featured RBI singles from Wyatt Crosby, Eric Gonzalez, Kai Caranto, and Vega. Nine more runs from the Kingsmen offense throughout the next four innings would put the game out of reach for the Blues, 20-4. 

Sebastian Smith, Crosby, Caranto, and Vega each had multi-hit games. Caranto and Vega also recorded three RBIs apiece. 

The Kingsmen will look to carry their momentum over to tomorrow as they continue the series with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 11:00 a.m.