THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - A 14-run third inning provided more than enough run support for Cal Lutheran as Kingsmen pitchers Aaron Roth and Tyler Hebda allowed only two hits combined in Friday's 24-0, seven-inning victory over Caltech.
Box Score: CLU 24, CIT 0 - F/7
Earning his second win in as many games, Roth struckout seven Beavers in his four innings on the mound before handing the ball to Hebda prior to the start of the fifth.
Recording nine consecutive outs to earn his first save of the season, the duo of Hebda and Roth not only held the Beavers to only two hits, both of which were singles, but also helped Cal Lutheran complete its season sweep over Caltech in the first of two back-to-back SCIAC games scheduled for this weekend.
A total of 21 Kingsmen saw action against the Beavers at George "Sparky" Anderson Field at Ullman Stadium; finishing 3-for-3 with five RBI, Nick Boggan led the way for Cal Lutheran in a game that saw 10 different players record at least one RBI off Caltech arms.
Boggan also recorded his conference-leading 10th home run of the season, a shot that easily cleared the fence in straightaway center to score two of the Kingsmen's 14 runs in an action-packed third inning.
Finishing with two hits in his three at-bats, Colin Gray tied a career high by driving in four runs before being replaced prior to his fourth at-bat which would have taken place in the bottom of the fourth inning.
In addition to Gray, John Leal also turned in one of his most successful games in a Kingsmen uniform. Finishing 2-for-3, with two runs, the right fielder also set a new career high in the process with his three RBI.
Scoring five runs throughout the first two innings severely hampered Caltech's chances of leaving Thousand Oaks with a victory; after the events of the third inning took place, Cal Lutheran all but officially completed the sweep of the four games played this season against Caltech.
Four of the 10 hits accumulated in the Kingsmen third were for extra bases; in addition to Boggan's home run, Richard Michelin hit a double to left-centerfield before back-to back triples flew off the bats of Trevor Koons and Iggy Wagner.
A total of 20 Kingsmen batters took their swings against Caltech pitchers in that fateful inning, scoring 14 of the team's 24 runs before the final out of the inning was recorded.
In addition to the Kingsmen third-inning quartet of batters, Nicholas DellaValle and Matt Emerson were responsible for the other CLU extra-base hits earned against the Beavers as the former hit a triple in the second inning, with the latter blasting a double to left-center to record his inaugural hit in a Cal Lutheran uniform.
Scoring the decisive run in the top of the ninth inning in their last game played at Whittier, the Kingsmen can earn their second SCIAC season sweep in as many days with another victory in Saturday's road game against the Poets.
Cal Lutheran baseball fans who are unable to make the trip can still follow the events of Saturday's game online as Whittier will provide live stats for the final Kingsmen-Poets baseball game of the season. Click here to follow the action at Memorial Field as it happens, first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.