THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – In a tightly contested Friday pitchers' duel, the Cal Lutheran baseball team did just enough at the plate while leaning on another strong performance from its pitching staff to defeat Willamette 2-1 at George "Sparky" Anderson Field.
The Kingsmen improved to 14-3 on the season with the victory, using almost seven scoreless innings from
Max McGrady and two clutch innings of relief from
Aidan Buntich to secure the series-opening win.
Runs were at a premium throughout the afternoon as both teams traded zeros across the early innings. Cal Lu broke through first in the bottom of the second after
Daniel Orozco reached base on an error and advanced into scoring position. With two outs,
Eric Gonzalez delivered a single through the right side to bring Orozco home and give the Kingsmen a 1-0 lead.
McGrady kept the Bearcats off balance throughout his outing, striking out nine across seven innings while allowing just one run on five hits. The junior worked efficiently through multiple key moments, helping Cal Lutheran hold its narrow lead deep into the game.
Willamette finally broke through in the seventh inning when Luca Penteriani scored on a single from Adam Birt, but the 1-1 deadlock did not last long.
In the bottom of the eighth,
Wyatt Crosby sparked the Kingsmen by reaching on a hit-by-pitch and quickly stealing second to move into scoring position. After advancing to third on a flyout,
Lucas Danielewicz delivered the decisive hit, lining a single to right-center to score Crosby and restore Cal Lutheran's lead at 2-1.
Buntich took over on the mound in the eighth and provided exactly what the Kingsmen needed out of the bullpen. The right-hander allowed just one hit across two innings while keeping Willamette off the board to earn his second win of the season.
Cal Lu managed five hits on the afternoon, with Danielewicz driving in the go-ahead run in the eighth. Gonzalez added the RBI single in the second, while
Jacob Blickenderfer,
Troy Anderson, and Crosby each recorded a hit.
Despite a quieter day offensively, the Kingsmen's pitching staff stepped up to carry the load, combining for 10 strikeouts without a single walk.
Cal Lutheran will continue the series against the Bearcats on Saturday, March 14, with a doubleheader at "Sparky" Anderson. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11 a.m..
