THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – With an NCAA Division III berth on the line on the final day of the Second Annual Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Baseball Post Season Tournament hosted at George “Sparky” Anderson Field inside of Ullman Stadium the home Kingsmen punched their second consecutive ticket to the tournament by defeating Chapman 7-2 this afternoon.

In a win-and-you’re-in scenario, the teams had energy and exhibited excitement early both on the field and in the stands. Cal Lutheran seized control in the first inning and maintained the momentum throughout behind a complete performance, offensively, defensively and on the hill. The Kingsmen combined for 10 hits and did not commit an error as the pitching staff limited the Panthers to a pair of runs on six hits.

A three-run first inning for CLU set the tone and when Aaron Roth threw a two-out, 3-2 fastball for a ground ball to Davey Casciola who fired across the diamond to Collin Crowl the Kingsmen dugout emptied and a dog pile took form between the mound and first base.

At the beginning of the game CU leadoff man Andrew Carabajal drew a walk and worked his way around to third on a sacrifice and a stolen base, but Kingsmen starter Scott Peters worked out of the jam, fielding a comebacker and forcing a line drive at Ramsey Abushahla to end the first inning threat.

The Kingsmen came to the plate and batted around, capitalizing on unruly pitching and a miscue by plating three runs. Chapman starter Taber Watson threw a first-pitch strike, but struggled to find a the plate with his next eight pitches out of the zone, allowing Justin Caña to walk while Nicho DellaValle was hit by a pitch. Jake Petersen singled to load the bases and a fielder’s choice cut down Caña at the plate while keeping three men on the pond for Collin Crowl who drove in the first run of the game. With two men down, a throwing error aided the CLU offense for another run and Craig Jacobson wore a pitch in the left arm to drive in the third of the frame.   

In the top of the second, DellaValle was part of all three putouts. After another leadoff walk he and Jacobson cut down the lead man on a fielder’s choice and Peters caught the runner with a 1-3-6-1 pickoff for the second out before he cleanly fielded a weak ground ball to shortstop for the final out.

Between the bottom of the second and top of fourth neither team scored, though each would put runners on base during that span. Peters retired the side in order in the third, with a pair of ground balls to Casciola at third base sandwiching a swinging strike out, and fourth with two ground balls and another punch out.

CLU tacked on two more runs in the fourth on a two-RBI double off the wall in right field from Abushahla that plated DellaValle and Petersen who reached on a fielder’s choice and double, past a great effort from a diving Carbajal in left, respectively.

In the top of the fifth, Connor Battaglia broke up the no-hitter with a line drive homerun over the left field fence to put the Panthers on the board. Peters retired the next there batters with some help from his defense as Caña made a diving grab in centerfield, Jacobson tracked down a foul ball near the CU dugout and Petersen planted himself under a fly ball on the warning track in left.

Chapman changed pitchers in the top of the fifth, bringing in Braden Riddle, but the Kingsmen were undeterred, promptly responding with another run on an RBI single up the middle from DellaValle, which scored Jacobson who bunted for a hit. With the bases loaded, Chapman would turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to squash the opportunity for CLU to add any more.

The visiting squad made some noise in the sixth. Carabajal continued to produce for the Panthers with a single to center, though Caña nearly came up with another diving catch. That hit sparked the CU offense as the next two batters walked and after Matt Gandy connected for what would have been a grand slam had it stayed fair, settled for an RBI single that appeared to be an easy fly ball out, which was lost in the sun, forcing Peters from the mound.

Landry Kiyabu came in to get a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning and keep the Kingsmen in front 6-2 after six.

In the top of the seventh, Tyler Cook started things with an infield single that Casciola made a leaping stop on and nearly converted into an out, but an errant throw was backed up by Spencer DuBois keeping the ball out of the Chapman dugout and the runner at first. Greg Dillon followed suit with a single to right and CLU head coach Marty Slimak made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Roth, the Kingsmen closer.

The threat was short lived as the senior hurler retired all three men he faced and just one over the minimum in his 3.0 innings of action. In the eighth he again retired the side in order and surrendered a lone hit to Battaglia in the ninth, but forced a fly out, foul fly out and the final ground ball to put the game in the books. Roth was credited with the save, his 11^th of the spring, and Peters (6-3) earned the victory after going 5.1 innings, scattering just three hits while striking out a pair.

Chapman (30-13) will await its fate with hopes still alive for an NCAA Pool “C” bid to the Playoffs. Today for the Panthers, Battaglia was the only player with more than one hit, finishing with two. Watson (5-4) was tagged with the loss after walking four and allowing five runs on five hits.

Cal Lutheran (34-8) is guaranteed a spot in the West Regional that will be hosted at Linfield (Ore.) from May 14-18, though match-ups are yet to be determined. The NCAA selection show will take place on Sunday, May 11.

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – With an NCAA Division III berth on the line on the final day of the Second Annual Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Baseball Post Season Tournament hosted at George “Sparky” Anderson Field inside of Ullman Stadium the home Kingsmen punched their second consecutive ticket to the tournament by defeating Chapman 7-2 this afternoon.

In a win-and-you’re-in scenario, the teams had energy and exhibited excitement early both on the field and in the stands. Cal Lutheran seized control in the first inning and maintained the momentum throughout behind a complete performance, offensively, defensively and on the hill. The Kingsmen combined for 10 hits and did not commit an error as the pitching staff limited the Panthers to a pair of runs on six hits.

A three-run first inning for CLU set the tone and when Aaron Roth threw a two-out, 3-2 fastball for a ground ball to Davey Casciola who fired across the diamond to Collin Crowl the Kingsmen dugout emptied and a dog pile took form between the mound and first base.

At the beginning of the game CU leadoff man Andrew Carabajal drew a walk and worked his way around to third on a sacrifice and a stolen base, but Kingsmen starter Scott Peters worked out of the jam, fielding a comebacker and forcing a line drive at Ramsey Abushahla to end the first inning threat.

The Kingsmen came to the plate and batted around, capitalizing on unruly pitching and a miscue by plating three runs. Chapman starter Taber Watson threw a first-pitch strike, but struggled to find a the plate with his next eight pitches out of the zone, allowing Justin Caña to walk while Nicho DellaValle was hit by a pitch. Jake Petersen singled to load the bases and a fielder’s choice cut down Caña at the plate while keeping three men on the pond for Collin Crowl who drove in the first run of the game. With two men down, a throwing error aided the CLU offense for another run and Craig Jacobson wore a pitch in the left arm to drive in the third of the frame.   

In the top of the second, DellaValle was part of all three putouts. After another leadoff walk he and Jacobson cut down the lead man on a fielder’s choice and Peters caught the runner with a 1-3-6-1 pickoff for the second out before he cleanly fielded a weak ground ball to shortstop for the final out.

Between the bottom of the second and top of fourth neither team scored, though each would put runners on base during that span. Peters retired the side in order in the third, with a pair of ground balls to Casciola at third base sandwiching a swinging strike out, and fourth with two ground balls and another punch out.

CLU tacked on two more runs in the fourth on a two-RBI double off the wall in right field from Abushahla that plated DellaValle and Petersen who reached on a fielder’s choice and double, past a great effort from a diving Carbajal in left, respectively.

In the top of the fifth, Connor Battaglia broke up the no-hitter with a line drive homerun over the left field fence to put the Panthers on the board. Peters retired the next there batters with some help from his defense as Caña made a diving grab in centerfield, Jacobson tracked down a foul ball near the CU dugout and Petersen planted himself under a fly ball on the warning track in left.

Chapman changed pitchers in the top of the fifth, bringing in Braden Riddle, but the Kingsmen were undeterred, promptly responding with another run on an RBI single up the middle from DellaValle, which scored Jacobson who bunted for a hit. With the bases loaded, Chapman would turn an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play to squash the opportunity for CLU to add any more.

The visiting squad made some noise in the sixth. Carabajal continued to produce for the Panthers with a single to center, though Caña nearly came up with another diving catch. That hit sparked the CU offense as the next two batters walked and after Matt Gandy connected for what would have been a grand slam had it stayed fair, settled for an RBI single that appeared to be an easy fly ball out, which was lost in the sun, forcing Peters from the mound.

Landry Kiyabu came in to get a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning and keep the Kingsmen in front 6-2 after six.

In the top of the seventh, Tyler Cook started things with an infield single that Casciola made a leaping stop on and nearly converted into an out, but an errant throw was backed up by Spencer DuBois keeping the ball out of the Chapman dugout and the runner at first. Greg Dillon followed suit with a single to right and CLU head coach Marty Slimak made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Roth, the Kingsmen closer.

The threat was short lived as the senior hurler retired all three men he faced and just one over the minimum in his 3.0 innings of action. In the eighth he again retired the side in order and surrendered a lone hit to Battaglia in the ninth, but forced a fly out, foul fly out and the final ground ball to put the game in the books. Roth was credited with the save, his 11^th of the spring, and Peters (6-3) earned the victory after going 5.1 innings, scattering just three hits while striking out a pair.

Chapman (30-13) will await its fate with hopes still alive for an NCAA Pool “C” bid to the Playoffs. Today for the Panthers, Battaglia was the only player with more than one hit, finishing with two. Watson (5-4) was tagged with the loss after walking four and allowing five runs on five hits.

Cal Lutheran (34-8) is guaranteed a spot in the West Regional that will be hosted at Linfield (Ore.) from May 14-18, though match-ups are yet to be determined. The NCAA selection show will take place on Sunday, May 11.