CLU Wins SCIAC Opener Two Months Later

More news about: Cal Lutheran

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - After rain forced postponement of the team's original conference opener back on Feb. 18, Cal Lutheran preserved a four-run lead and held on 5-3 to win game one on Sunday. The Kingsmen then completed the season sweep of the Tigers taking a 10-2 decision to close out the day.

Box Score (Game One): CLU 5, OXY 3 - F
Box Score (Game Two): CLU 10, OXY 2 - F

Cal Lutheran 5, Occidental 3 - F (Game One)
Prior to play being suspended in the fourth inning Cal Lutheran built up a 4-0 lead and started with a runner on second after Travis Dadigian's double was the final at bat from the original meeting.

He would later score in the inning on an Iggy Wagner RBI-groundout pushing the lead to five. Unfortunately CLU scored all five of its runs in the first four frames. Tigers relief pitcher Alec Strain tossed six shutout innings giving up only four hits.

Kingsmen starting pitcher Ian Durham, who had tossed four shutout innings prior to the stoppage was saved for today's game and did not appear in either Friday's or Saturday's contests. Three of CLU's four errors aided all three OXY runs to cross including a pair in the seventh creating a 5-3 score with two runners on.

Kingsmen closer Byron Minnich was called into action with the tying run at first base and forced an inning ending groundout. He tossed a perfect ninth inning to pick up his eighth save of the year.

Iggy Wagner and Danny Gallinot collected two RBI each to lead the Kingsmen. Nick Boggan, K.C. Judge and Wyatt Byers each went 2-for-4 to lead all players.

The victory clinched a winning record at season's end for the 23rd straight year, dating back to 1989.

Cal Lutheran 10, Occidental 2 - F
With the rare doubleheader providing a fourth game in three day's time freshman Aaron Roth earned the starting nod. After allowing two first inning runs courtesy of three walks and two errors he settled in allowing only three singles over the next four innings.

Before he saw the field he was supplied with a 4-0 cushion following a four-hit frame to start game two. John Leal drove in the first pair following an opposite field two-run blast to highlight the inning.

That would be more than enough run support as the Kingsmen pitching staff held the Tigers scoreless over the final eight innings. Chris Park and Byron Minnich went two innings each retiring the final 12 batters in order.

Meanwhile the offense pounded out 15 hits including a game-high three by senior Richard Michelin. Leal, Judge, Brandyn Delgado and Trevor Koons contributed two hits apiece in the victory.

Occidental managed only three singles in the game with a Mitch Margolis fourth inning single breaking up an early no-hit bid by Roth.

Cal Lutheran (22-14, 16-8 SCIAC) remains in third place and is three games back of Redlands in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings with four games to play. The next Kingsmen game will take place at "Sparky" Anderson Field on Friday, Apr. 22 at 3 p.m. against Caltech (0-27, 0-24 SCIAC).