WHITTIER, Calif. — Though senior Anthony Sidley led the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen with a three-hit outing, Tuesday afternoon, the team fell victim to their second consecutive one-run loss, succumbing 4-3 to the Whittier Poets in the bottom of the ninth. 

Sidley was a high-note for the Kingsmen offense, going 3-for-4 at the plate and bumping his average to .378 on the year. Joining him, sophomore Tanner Wright and junior Ryne Yamashiro added two hits and an RBI apiece. 

Though the Poets got the first run on the board early, the Kingsmen took the game back into their own hands with three runs across the fourth and fifth innings. Getting things started, freshman Sean Blandino brought home junior Ryan Probst in the fourth with a single to right. 

Following suit, Sidley led off the fifth with a double down the left field line and Wright brought him home two batters later on a single to left. Two more batters later and Wright later came across the plate himself on a triple to left center by Yamashiro for the 3-1 lead.   

On the other hand, Whittier took one back in the sixth on a double by Dane Goodman to make it a one-run ballgame and forcing junior starter Troy Frazier to hand the ball over to the bullpen. In his sixth start on the year, Frazier allowed two runs, just one earned in 5.2 innings of work while walking none and striking out three. 

Following him up, sophomore relievers Clay Rickerman and Zach Hardman held things down with a combined 2.1 shutout frames before calling junior Christian Slattery to close out the ninth. 

Unfortunately, the woes continued for the Kingsmen, as an error put runners on the corners with two outs. A wild pitch later and the game was knotted up, but things only continued to get worse as Mason Blansett singled back to the pitcher for the walk-off RBI. 

Though both runs charged to Slattery are unearned, the closer takes his second loss in as many games, and Cal Lutheran moves to 18-10 overall on the season. Looking to get out of their rut, the Kingsmen take on the Linfield Wildcats in a three-game non-conference series. First pitch for game one is set for 2 p.m. on Friday, April 12, inside Ullman Stadium.

Box Score: WC 4, CLU 3
Baseball Instagram: @kingsmen_baseball
Baseball Twitter: @CLUBaseball
CLU Instagram: @clusports
CLU Twitter: @CLUSports
CLU Facebook: CLU Sports
Hashtags: #clusports #goregals #gokingsmen #ownthethrone #theSCIAC #ncaad3 

Release by Christy Effendie, Assistant Sports Information Director