ORANGE, Calif.– The No. 15 Cal Lutheran baseball team took two of three games from the No. 1 team in the nation as the Kingsmen and Chapman Panthers split their doubleheader on Saturday. CLU won the first game 8-3 while Chapman took the second 6-3.
The Kingsmen opened SCIAC play by winning all three of their series. CLU improved to a conference record of 7-1 and are 12-1 overall. The Kingsmen responded well to facing the No. 1 team in the nation and look to move up in the top-25 poll this coming week.
Game One
The Kingsmen picked up where they left off on Friday and tallied the exact same score as the first game of the series.
Snodgrass took to the mound and pitched 5.2 innings, striking out three batters and gave up zero earned runs. After the Panthers picked up two runs in the bottom of the first, due to a Kingsmen error, Snodgrass went three up, three down in the second, and continued his dominance throughout the third and fourth innings.
The Kingsmen bats broke through in the fifth as CLU put up four runs. With one out and runners on the corners, Tanner Wright singled up the middle, getting a RBI. Two batters later, with runners again at the corners, Ryan Probst tripled, scoring both. The fourth RBI of the inning came with the very next batter as Ryne Yamashiro singled up the middle.
Chapman got one run back in the bottom of the inning, and the Kingsmen answered with two in the top of the sixth. Wright doubled down the left field line, gathering two more RBI, to lead the team with three.
Tyler Hazlett, Clay Rickerman and Christian Slattery shut down the Panthers the rest of the way, combining for 3.1 scoreless innings, five strikeouts and just two hits.
CLU put the finishing touches on in the top of the ninth as two more runs crossed the plate, curtesy of Kyle Reuser and Harrison Dunkel, as they each picked up a RBI. The Kingsmen claimed the series with an 8-3 win.
Game Two
Zach Hardman got the call for game three and took to the mound in hopes of sealing a sweep. During his first three innings, the Panthers were able to push two runs across as they took the early lead.
The Kingsmen responded with run support in the top of the fourth and tied the game. After a quick two outs, Cal Lutheran broke through as Joseph Scalzo and Jalen Parks tallied the hits with Yamashiro and Daniel Parr scoring the runs.
Hardman pitched six innings in total, striking out eight batters, while allowing six hits and three runs.
The game continued to be close as the Kingsmen tied it back up in the top of the seventh. Parr tripled to start the inning and the very next batter, Scalzo, got the RBI as he grounded out to the short stop. The Panthers in the bottom of the inning and took a 4-3 lead to the eighth. Chapman added two more runs in the eighth and won the game 6-3 as the Panthers avoided the sweep.
The Kingsmen are back in action tomorrow as they continue a tied game from Feb. 22. CMS comes to CLU and the game will pick up in the top of the ninth with the score tied 10-10.
Box Score: CLU 8, CU 3; CU 6, CLU 3
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
