REDLANDS, Calif. – Cal Lutheran baseball earned a split in Saturday's doubleheader at Redlands, dropping the opener 10-3 before bouncing back with a gritty 7-6 victory in game two to claim the weekend series.
With the split, the Kingsmen move to 20-8 overall and 8-4 in SCIAC play, holding firm in second place in the conference standings.
GAME ONE: REDLANDS 10, CAL LUTHERAN 3
The opener saw Cal Lu strike early but struggle to contain a mid-game surge from the Bulldogs. After falling behind 1-0, the Kingsmen answered in the third inning behind a solo home run from
Wyatt Crosby and a two-run double from
Lucas Danielewicz to take a 3-1 lead.
However, Redlands responded quickly and decisively. The Bulldogs evened the score in the fourth before erupting for four runs in the fifth inning, capitalizing on timely hits and a Kingsmen error to take control. Redlands continued to add on in the sixth and seventh, pulling away for the 10-3 win.
Crosby led CLU offensively, going 3-for-4 with the home run, while
Philip Jeong added a pair of hits as the Kingsmen totaled seven in the game.
GAME TWO: CAL LUTHERAN 7, REDLANDS 6
The Kingsmen quickly flipped the script in game two, overcoming an early deficit with timely hitting and resilience down the stretch.
After Redlands jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning, Cal Lu chipped away, getting on the board in the third with an RBI double from
Jacob Blickenderfer. The Kingsmen continued to apply pressure in the fourth, tying the game at 3-3 behind a run-scoring hit-by-pitch and a wild pitch.
The back-and-forth battle continued as Redlands briefly reclaimed the lead, but CLU answered again in the fifth on an RBI single from
Troy Anderson to even the score at 4-4.
The decisive moment came in the sixth inning. After taking advantage of a defensive miscue,
Kai Caranto delivered the biggest swing of the game, launching a three-run home run to give the Kingsmen a 7-4 advantage.
Redlands threatened late, capitalizing on a pair of errors to pull within one, but Cal Lu's bullpen held strong.
Colten Hanson earned the win in relief, while
Aidan Buntich shut the door over the final three innings to secure his first save of the season.
Caranto led the Kingsmen offense in game two, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs, while
Daniel Orozco and Anderson each added two hits. Blickenderfer reached base three times and drove in a run as part of another strong showing at the plate.
UP NEXT
Cal Lutheran returns to action next weekend, opening a three-game SCIAC series on the road at La Verne on Friday, April 10, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. before returning home for a Saturday doubleheader.
