LA VERNE, Calif. — No. 16 Cal Lutheran baseball took the first game of the Saturday doubleheader from No. 6 La Verne to secure the series win and remain at the top of the SCIAC standings. The Kingsmen split the day with the Leopards, winning the first contest 1-0 before falling in the second 4-9.

Cal Lutheran 1, La Verne 0
The Kingsmen escaped a nail-biter in the morning game. Leo Bristow was the starting pitcher and was dominant, going seven and one-thirds to shut down the Leopards' offense. Joshua Kim then came in and recorded his second save of the series, shutting the door for the remainder of the game. 

The lone run of the game was scored on a single from Josh Quinn and a crucial La Verne error that allowed Alec Garcia to score, who also had two hits in the game. La Verne threatened in the bottom of the eighth, but Kim was able to find his was out of the inning to take the game.

This series win marks Cal Lutheran's ninth in a row. 

Cal Lutheran 4, La Verne 9
The Leopards were able to steal game three from the Kingsmen in a tight affair. La Verne took a 1-0 lead before Ryan Farr tied the game with a single to right field allowing Troy Anderson to score. La Verne recaptured the lead, 3-1, with two runs in the fifth. 

Zach Gardner shortened the gap to 3-2 with a sacrifice fly to bring in Lucas Danielewicz. The Leopards then further extended their lead to 5-2 in the seventh, but a two-run double to left from Kai Caranto brought the Kingsmen within one. La Verne was able to pull away with a four-run eighth inning featuring a three-run homerun.

Caranto's double was the highlight of the game for the Kingsmen, and Danielewicz also tallied two hits.

The Purple & Gold are in prime position to take the SCIAC as they sit in first place. The Kingsmen will travel to Whittier on Friday, April 18, to take on the Poets in the first game of three. The race for the ring has begun.