CLAREMONT, Calif. — And that's the sweep! The Cal Lutheran bats could not be stopped, Saturday afternoon, as the Kingsmen completed the sweep of the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, taking both games of the double header 12-4 and 9-7, respectively.
Overall, the Kingsmen added three more home runs and nine doubles to the season total. Finding their groove all day long, senior Weston Clark notched three doubles and one long ball in the two contests, while sophomore Daniel Parr hit two doubles and homer of his own.
The weekend marks the third straight series victory in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the Kingsmen, bringing them to 15-4 overall and 7-2 in conference play.
Game One:
The Kingsmen made things look easy in game one, clinching a 12-4 victory over the Sagehens in game two of the three-game set. For the fifth time in the last six games, Cal Lutheran collected double-digit hits and tied their second highest hit total with 20.
Leading the way, junior Daniel Stauffer and Clark recorded three RBIs apiece. Clark went 2-for-5 at the plate with a double, three RBI and his third home run of the year. Also with big afternoons, Parr was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles, two RBI and three runs and junior Cortez Espinoza was a perfect 3-for-3 in the eight spot.
On the bump, senior Chris Kovach earned his second win on the season behind the slew of the run support. The starter allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits while walking two and fanning two in five innings of work. Holding things down the remainder of the contest, sophomore relievers Clay Rickerman and Zach Hardman pitched four innings of one-run ball to secure the series victory for the Kingsmen.
Behind the pitching staff, the offense came out the gates roaring, tacking on four runs in the top of the first alone. And though Pomona-Pitzer got two on the board in the bottom of the second, Clark responded with a solo shot over the right field wall to make it a 5-2 contest.
The runs continued to roll in as the Kingsmen added three runs in the sixth and four more in eighth just for added insurance. Although the Sagehens managed to dig out two more runs, the deficit was too deep, giving up the 12-4 victory to Cal Lutheran.
Game two:
Hoping to salvage the sweep, Pomona-Pitzer roughed up Kingsmen starter, sophomore Scott Roberts, in the first with six runs for the early lead. However, junior Troy Frazier picked him up with his best outing of the year, sailing through six shutout innings to give the Kingsmen the opportunity to remain in the game.
His team did just that as every batter in the starting lineup contributed to collect 15-hits. Junior Matt Sciumbato led with three hits while juniors Ryan Probst and Chris Spohr added two RBI apiece.
Down 6-2 heading into the sixth, Probst ignited the team's rally with his first home run in a Cal Lutheran uniform, a two-run shot to center that cut the deficit to two. Three batters later, Clark doubled to right and Sciumbato followed with a sacrifice fly to knot things up at six.
Two frames later, Parr came up with the go-ahead run – a solo blast to left center – also his first of the year. Add on a two-RBI double from Spohr in the same inning, and the Kingsmen were up 9-6 heading into the ninth.
Looking to close things down, junior Christian Slattery allowed a solo shot to the Sagehens' Jack Hanley before striking out Kevin Lo to secure the 9-7 with his seventh save of the year. Also with a new notch in the win column, Rickerman earned his first win of 2019 with a perfect 1.1 innings between Frazier and Slattery.
The Kingsmen return to Ullman Stadium, Tuesday afternoon, against the New Rochelle Blue Angels in a non-conference matchup at 3.p.m.
Box Score: CLU 12, PP 4; CLU 9, PP 7
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Release by Christy Effendie, Assistant Sports Information Director
