ORANGE, Calif. – No. 24 Cal Lutheran baseball delivered one of its grittiest efforts of the season Friday afternoon, but a marathon battle ultimately slipped away in a 12-inning, 8-7 loss at Chapman.

The Kingsmen struck first in the opening inning, as Jacob Blickenderfer drove in Wes Lynch with an RBI single to give Cal Lu an early 1-0 edge. However, the Panthers answered immediately and gradually built a 6-3 lead through seven innings, capitalizing on timely hits and a pair of Kingsmen errors.

Despite trailing late, CLU refused to go quietly. Down to their final outs in the ninth inning, the Kingsmen mounted a dramatic rally. Daniel Orozco delivered a clutch two-RBI double to pull within one, and moments later, a passed ball allowed the tying run to score, evening the game at 6-6 and forcing extra innings.

After a scoreless 10th, Cal Lu broke through in the 11th. With the bases loaded, Philip Jeong came through with an RBI single to put the Kingsmen back in front 7-6.

Chapman responded yet again in the bottom half, tying the game and extending the back-and-forth battle.

In the 12th inning, the Kingsmen were unable to push across another run, setting the stage for a tough finish. The Panthers loaded the bases and ended the game on an infield single, walking off the Kingsmen in a tightly contested 8-7 decision.

CLU finished with 13 hits on the day, with Orozco leading the way with three hits and two RBIs. Lucas Danielewicz, Kai Caranto, and Blickenderfer added multi-hit performances, while Jeong drove in two runs, including the go-ahead hit in extras.

On the mound, the Kingsmen pieced together a strong effort across the board. Colten Hanson was particularly effective out of the bullpen, tossing five innings with six strikeouts to keep Cal Lu within striking distance.

Cal Lutheran will look to bounce back as the series continues at home tomorrow, March 28. The Kingsmen host Chapman in a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at George "Sparky" Anderson Field.