THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Under clear blue skies, the Cal Lutheran baseball team swept a pair of league games from Whittier at Memorial Field. The Kingsmen controlled the momentum throughout the course of the day, defeating the Poets 6-1 and 9-6.

Box Score (Game 1): CLU 6, WC 1 - F
Box Score (Game 2): CLU 9, WC 6 - F

A five run first inning gave Peter Ciaramitaro (2-0) all the run support he would need as he went 7.0 strong innings, scattering four hits while striking out three and not allowing a run. He got 11 ground ball outs and six fly balls before handing the ball over.

Although each team collected seven hits, the CLU offense made the most of theirs, especially in the top of the first. Iggy Wagner led off with a single to center. After Elon Goldman drew a walk, red-hot Trevor Koons connected for an RBI double down the left field line, moving Goldman to third. Nick Boggan promptly doubled in the ultimate winning run while chasing starting pitcher Austin Straus from the game. Taylor Fallon took over, but the change did not affect the momentum of the CLU offense. Designated hitter Nick DeLorenzo took a 2-2 pitch to right field for a two-run double to cap off the frame.

The teams exchanged runs in the eighth. Boggan walked and advanced to third on wild pitch followed by a balk. He then came in to score on as DeLorenzo collected his second hit of the game. Koons also had a multi-hit game, also doubling in the fifth.

Whittier's Pete Mitchell tripled off Chris Park with one out and came in to score on a CLU fielding blunder. Jordan Cox closed out the final 1.1 innings for the Kingsmen.

Strauss was tagged with the loss as he did not record an out after allowing four runs. Fallon tossed 7.0 innings in relief and struck out four CLU batters.

In the second game, CLU again got to the Poets pitching early, scoring four runs in the first three innings, forcing Michael Olmstead from the hill.

CLU started the afternoon game with four consecutive hits. Dominick Solley singled up the middle and came around to score when Boggan squared up a ball, driving it down the line for a double, giving CLU a quick 1-0 lead.

Although Whittier came back in the bottom of the first to tie it with an unearned run, CLU would add another run of its own in the second when John Leal drew a walk and a Wagner single drove him in.

Boggan hit a leadoff homerun in the third and CLU would get another run when Kevin Eto lifted a sacrifice fly, scoring Tyler Kem who was hit by a pitch and stole second in the inning.

The Kingsmen built on their lead in the fifth, pushing the score to 6-2 as Eto doubled and scored on a Garrett Smith RBI single and Leal scored on a pass ball after walking.

WC erased the CLU lead in the seventh, tying things 6-6 after Mitchell launched a three-run homerun.  

Focused and hungry for victory, CLU sent seven men to the plate in the top of the eighth, regaining the lead when a Kevin Leonard pinch hit single scored Solley and Koons who walked and singled, respectively, to start the inning.

Smith led off the ninth with a single, his third hit of the afternoon, and came in to score when Koons connected for his third hit of the game, a double to right center.

John LaMoure started on the hill for CLU and went 5.0 innings. He allowed just one earned run on four hits as he struck out six Poets. Tyler Hedba (2-0) was credited with the win, tossing the final 3.0 innings. He surrendered two runs on two hits and struck out one.

Whittier's Mike Rueda suffered the loss.

Cal Lutheran (11-4, 7-2 SCIAC) returns home on Friday, March 9 to take on the Bulldogs of Redlands at 2:30 p.m.