THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran baseball earned a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Chapman, grinding out a 6-1 win in the opener before falling 10-3 in the afternoon finale at George "Sparky" Anderson Field.
GAME ONE: CAL LUTHERAN 6, CHAPMAN 1
The Kingsmen (18-7, 6-3 SCIAC) found a way to manufacture runs in a steady, workmanlike performance after falling behind 1-0 early. CLU answered with a sacrifice fly from
Philip Jeong in the fourth to even the score before inching ahead in the fifth on an RBI single from
Lucas Danielewicz.
The game remained tight into the late innings before the Kingsmen finally created separation in the seventh. Taking advantage of defensive miscues and timely hitting, Cal Lu plated three runs in the frame, highlighted by RBI singles from Danielewicz and
Kai Caranto to push the lead to 5-1. Danielewicz added another RBI knock in the eighth to cap the scoring.
Danielewicz led the offense with three hits and three RBIs, while several others contributed situationally in a lineup effort that emphasized execution over power.
On the mound,
Oscar Lopez delivered a strong outing to earn his fifth win of the season, tossing seven innings while allowing just one run on four hits.
Aidan Buntich then closed the door with two scoreless innings to secure the victory.
GAME TWO: CHAPMAN 10, CAL LUTHERAN 3
The nightcap told a different story, as Cal Lu struggled to generate offense and was held scoreless by the Panthers, who steadily built their lead.
Chapman broke things open in the middle innings, capitalizing on walks, an error, and timely extra-base hits to create separation, including a two-run home run in the fifth.
The Kingsmen showed some late life in the eighth inning, with the bench providing a spark.
Gavin Farley drove in a run with a single, while
Troy Anderson and
Alec Nava each added RBIs to get Cal Lu on the board.
Despite the late push, the early deficit proved too much to overcome as Chapman closed out the 10-3 win.
UP NEXT
With the series result, Cal Lutheran drops into third place in the SCIAC standings after entering the weekend in first. The Kingsmen will look to regroup next weekend as they host Redlands on Friday, April 3 at 3 p.m. before heading on the road for a Saturday doubleheader. The Bulldogs enter the matchup tied for second in the conference at 8-4.
