ORANGE, Calif. — The Cal Lutheran offense ran through the Chapman pitching staff Friday afternoon, stringing together 12 runs on 16 hits, and giving senior Justin Fong more than enough run support for his first career complete-game victory. Every batter in the lineup tallied a hit and five finished with two RBI's in the Kingsmen's 12-3 win. 

Getting the nod, Fong cruised to a six-hit complete game victory in just his third career start. The senior allowed three runs, just one earned, while striking out three and walking two. He drops his ERA to 1.36 and now leads the pitching staff with 27 punchouts. 

Behind him, every man held their own at the plate. Senior Weston Clark led with a pair extra-base hits – a triple in the third and double in the eighth – shown up only by a two-run bomb from junior Nick Pico in the seventh. Alongside them, sophomore Tanner Wright went 3-for-5, and junior Ryan Probst, junior Ryne Yamashiro and senior Trevor Egan added two knocks apiece. 

Down a swift 1-2-3 in the top of the first, the Kingsmen was able to adjust quickly and found their groove in the third. Clark led off with a triple to center and Egan brought him home with a sacrifice fly for the go-ahead run. Wright followed with a quick single and Probst sent him round trip with another triple to right center. One more single by Yamashiro up the middle and the Kingsmen were up 3-0. 

Back-to-back RBIs in the fourth by Probst and Yamashiro continued to push the lead to 5-0, but the Panthers decided to make things interesting, and took advantage of Cal Lutheran's infield errors to tack on three runs in the middle third to make it a two-run game. 

Pico took care of any worry, though, in the seventh with a two-run homer to right with two outs. Then throw in an additional five runs in the final two innings, and the Kingsmen had completely blown past the Panthers 12-3. 

The win moves Cal Lutheran to 10-3 overall and 3-1 in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic play. The team returns to the field tomorrow for a double header inside Ullman Stadium against Chapman with games are scheduled for 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Box Score: CLU 12, CU 3
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Release by Christy Effendie, Assistant Sports Information Director