CLAREMONT, Calif. - The opening game of a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) series with Pomona-Pitzer was a shootout with the Cal Lutheran baseball team holding off the Sagehens, 9-8, to earn a series opening victory.

CLU def. PP 9-8
CLU took a 7-0 lead with a run in the second and three apiece in the third and fourth, but the cushion disappeared in the bottom of the sixth as the Hens erased the deficit with seven to tie things. The home team took an 8-7 lead in the eighth and CLU rallied back with two more in the ninth to go ahead 9-8 on a Jimmy Jauregui RBI single to plate Gabe Gunter with the winning run. In the bottom of the frame, Miguel Salud (2-1) forced two ground balls and a fly ball to end it and earn the win after going 3.2 innings in relief.

Gunter led the way with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, also stealing a base, while Jauregui, Austin Kay and Max Weinstein tallied two hits apiece. Kay and Sinjin Todd eachscored twice and Gunter drove in three of the eight RBIs.

Marshall Pautsch got a no decision after starting and working 5.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out three. Salud sat down a pair.

The Kingsmen played flawless defense with Weston Clark recording 13 putouts at first base and Trey Saito totaling five putouts and three assists behind the plate while Kay had seven touches at shortstop for two putouts and five assists.

Pomona-Pitzer (10-12, 2-5 SCIAC) outhit Cal Lutheran 13-12 and Kevin Jordan finished with a 3-for-5 day at the plate, scoring once. Leadoff man Tanner Nishioka had two hits and scored twice with a homerun.

Cal Lutheran (12-6, 5-5) hosts the Sagehens tomorrow for two inside of Ullman Stadium beginning at 11:00 a.m.

CLU Instagram: http://instagram.com/clusports#
Baseball Instagram: http://instagram.com/kingsmen_baseball/
CLU Twitter: https://twitter.com/clusports
Baseball Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLUBasebal
CLU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clusports
Hashtags: #clusports #ownthethrone #gokingsmen #d3b