THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran baseball delivered a statement response on Saturday afternoon at George "Sparky" Anderson Field, sweeping a doubleheader against No. 22 McMurry to secure the weekend series after dropping the opener on Friday.

The Kingsmen combined timely pitching, opportunistic offense, and an explosive nightcap to earn wins of 4-2 and 17-6, improving to 2-1 on the young season.

GAME ONE: CAL LUTHERAN 4, MCMURRY 2
The Purple & Gold opened the day with a come-from-behind victory in the series-leveling contest, leaning on strong relief pitching and capitalizing on War Hawk errors.

McMurry struck first with a run in the opening inning and added another in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead, but the Kingsmen stayed within striking distance behind steady work from Oscar Lopez and Aidan Buntich on the mound. Lopez went five innings, allowing two runs while striking out six, before Buntich stepped in and shut the door.

The Kingsmen broke through in the sixth inning, scoring two unearned runs after applying pressure on the basepaths. Jona Dawson reached on an error, allowing Lucas Danielewicz and Daniel Orozco to score and give Cal Lu its first lead of the game.

CLU added an insurance run in the seventh, as Philip Jeong came home on a passed ball to extend the advantage to 4-2.

Buntich was dominant in relief, tossing four scoreless innings to earn the win. He allowed just two hits while striking out three to preserve the victory.

Danielewicz led the offense with two hits, while Jeong and Eric Gonzalez each chipped in key contributions as the Kingsmen evened the series.

GAME TWO: CAL LUTHERAN 17, MCMURRY 6
The nightcap turned into an offensive showcase as the Kingsmen erupted for 17 runs on 15 hits, pulling away from McMurry with a decisive performance.

After falling behind 4-1 early, Cal Lutheran responded with a five-run second inning, fueled by patience at the plate and aggressive baserunning. Kai Caranto, Orozco, and Danielewicz all brought in runs during the frame as the Kingsmen seized momentum.

The offense never slowed as Cal Lutheran added three runs in the fifth, two more in the sixth, and then blew the game wide open with a five-run eighth inning.

Danielewicz delivered the biggest blow of the afternoon, finishing 3-for-5 with five RBIs, including a three-run double in the eighth. Caranto crossed the plate four times and added two hits, while Jeong drove in two runs and Brady Werther and Gonzalez each recorded RBI hits.

On the mound, Liam Kropp earned his first collegiate win, working 2.2 innings in relief and allowing just one run. Ryan Jung and Matt Campo combined to finish off the final four innings, limiting the War Hawks' opportunities late.

UP NEXT
Cal Lutheran returns to "Sparky" Anderson next weekend to continue its homestand, opening a three-game series against Pacific Lutheran on Friday, February 13 at 2 p.m.