THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The bats were alive and well at George "Sparky" Anderson Field on Friday afternoon, as Cal Lutheran baseball exploded for 23 runs in a dominant win over Pacific Lutheran.
After three scoreless innings, the Kingsmen turned a tight contest into a runaway in the fourth, unleashing an eight-run inning that featured five hits, three walks, and a hit-by-pitch that flipped the game on its head.
RBI knocks from
Jona Dawson and
Kai Caranto highlighted the frame, and
Jacob Blickenderfer delivered the biggest blow with a three-run double to right center that pushed the lead to 8-1.
From there, it only escalated as Cal Lu added two more in the fifth, six pieces in the sixth and seventh, and another in the eighth to complete the 23-run eruption. In total, the Kingsmen scored in five consecutive innings, piling up 14 hits, eight walks, and seven hit batters while capitalizing on four PLU errors.
Caranto led the charge at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBIs, including a triple in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth. Blickenderfer drove in three, while
Daniel Orozco added a two-run triple of his own during the sixth-inning surge.
Ellias Rubio put an exclamation point on the afternoon in his first Cal Lu at-bat with a three-run double in the seventh as the Kingsmen continued to pour it on.
Following a complete lineup switch, 15 of the 18 players that appeared in the contest crossed the plate as the Purple & Gold sent waves of batters around the bases inning after inning.
On the mound,
Max McGrady was sharp in his start, striking out seven over 3.2 innings while allowing just one run on one hit. The right-hander worked around five walks to keep PLU off balance early.
Aidan Buntich earned the win in relief, entering in the fourth-inning bases-loaded jam and limiting further damage. He tossed 1.2 scoreless frames, allowing just one hit.
Jake Porter and
Wade Treloggen combined to close out the final 3.2 innings without allowing a run, as the CLU staff surrendered just three hits all afternoon.
The win sets the tone for the weekend series as Cal Lutheran looks to carry the momentum into Saturday's doubleheader. First pitch is set for 10 a.m. tomorrow, February 14.
