Thousand Oaks, Calif. – Kingsmen baseball hosted Caltech for a double-header on George "Sparky" Anderson Field in Ullman Stadium to complete their first conference series. After getting over a slow start to the day, the Purple and Gold won the first game 4-3 with a walk-off single by Max Heverly and grabbed another 16-0 win in the second game.
Max Kendall was the starting pitcher in game one for the Purple and Gold. He pitched five innings and faced 20 batters, tallying six strike outs. Tristan Dupont came in for two innings and struck out three of the six batters he faced. Dupont threw 20 pitches with 16 of them being strikes.
Clay Rickerman came in for the last two innings and got the win for the Kingsmen. Rickerman threw 21 strikes out of 28 pitches and struck out three of the eight batters he faced.
Leading the Kingsmen in RBIs was Max Heverly who tallied three. Zach Lafata contributed with one RBI himself.
Zach Bullard led the team with two stolen bases and Heverly added another.
Bullard, Jalen Parks, Ben Wangrin, and Kyle Reuser each tabbed a double.
Lafata got on base in the bottom of the seventh to give the Kingsmen a chance at taking the lead as they trailed 2-3. Heverly stepped up to the plate and hit a walk-off single to end game one.
Game two started off hot for the Kingsmen. Lafata and Heverly were on base as Bullard stepped up to the plate. Bullard double, sending Lafata across home plate in the bottom of the first. Nolan Brooks tabbed an RBI after forcing an error on the Beavers short stop. Parks finished the scoring in the first inning with an RBI that sent Bullard home.
Chris Torres started for the Kingsmen and got the win. Torres pitched five innings and faced 19 batters. Will Watson came in for the sixth inning and struck out the three batters he faced. Matt Campo finished off the pitching with one inning on the mound and three quick strike outs.
Bullard sent an electrifying two-run homer over the right field fence in the bottom of the second. Bullard had three RBIs in the afternoon game.
Sean Blandino led the Kingsmen with four RBIs. Though the Kingsmen were leading by 11 in the bottom of the sixth, Blandino finished up the game with a grand slam inside the park homerun that brought the run rule into play yet again.
Heverly and Lafata each tallied two RBIs in the second game. Austin Carrillo, Ethan Doshi, Brooks, Joseph Scalzo, and Parks also put up and RBI in the shut out over the Beavers. Lafata had two doubles and a triple. Heverly, Bullard, and Scalzo each had a double as well.
The Purple and Gold are back on George "Sparky" Anderson Field tomorrow at 12 to host George Fox.
Box Score: CLU 4, CIT 3; CLU 16, CIT 0
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Release by Cate Boller, Assistant Sports Information Director
