LA VERNE, Calif. – It didn't come easy early, but Cal Lutheran baseball delivered a statement response when it mattered most, pulling away late for a 15-6 win over La Verne on Friday afternoon at Ben Hines Field.
After falling behind in the middle innings, the Kingsmen (21-8, 9-4 SCIAC) flipped the script with a relentless offensive surge, scoring 10 runs across the final three frames to seize control.
The Leopards capitalized on a string of tough-luck hits and a defensive miscue to build a 5-1 lead through four innings against starter
Max McGrady. Despite the early deficit, Cal Lu stayed composed and began chipping away.
The breakthrough came in the fifth inning. Trailing 5-1, the Kingsmen rallied behind a two-run single from
Lucas Danielewicz and a two-run double from
Wes Lynch to even the score at 5-5 and swing momentum back in their favor.
After La Verne briefly regained the lead in the sixth, CLU answered again in the seventh. The Kingsmen tied the game on an RBI hit-by-pitch from
Brady Werther before taking the lead for good on a wild pitch that brought home Lynch.
From there, it was all Purple & Gold. With a 7-6 advantage in the eighth,
Jacob Blickenderfer delivered the decisive blow, launching a three-run home run to right center to break the game open. The Kingsmen continued to pour it on in the inning, adding two more runs to extend the lead to 12-6.
After that, Cal Lu still wasn't finished as the Kingsmen tacked on three additional runs in the ninth, highlighted by a two-run double from Lynch and a sacrifice fly from
Wyatt Crosby, putting the finishing touches on a dominant offensive performance.
Lynch led the charge at the plate, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Danielewicz and
Philip Jeong each collected three hits. Blickenderfer drove in three with his pivotal home run, and
Kai Caranto added two hits and scored three times as part of a 15-hit effort.
On the mound,
Caleb Wilson was outstanding in relief, earning his first win of the season after tossing 3.1 shutout innings and allowing just two hits to close out the game.
Cal Lutheran returns home to continue the series against La Verne on Saturday, April 11, with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
