Thousand Oaks, Calif. – The Kingsmen hosted the George Fox Bruins for a one-game show down Sunday afternoon in Ullman Stadium. The Kingsmen came from behind and took it to extra innings where they hit a walk-off into deep center field to call game.
The Purple and Gold saw a lot of faces on the mound today but it started with Nathan Chapman for the first three innings. He faced 14 batters and threw 46 strikes. Right behind Chapman was freshman Luke Weschler for two innings.
Austin Carrillo led off at the plate for the Kingsmen in the bottom of the first and got on base after being hit by a pitch. Zach Lafata stepped into the box right after Carrillo and hit a double, sending Carrillo home and putting them on the scoreboard.
Nick Fusari came up big for the Purple and Gold with his at bat in the bottom of the second. He sailed a line drive down the right field line sending himself to third base and Ben Wangrin across home to get the go ahead 3-2.
Fusari was just as solid on defense as he made multiple stops for the Purple and Gold. Fusari showed his expertise on the field with a barehanded grab off a hop and fired it to first base to get the first out of the fifth inning.
Zach Creighton stepped on the mound for the sixth inning and threw 11 strikes against the five batters he faced. Following him up in the seventh inning with Clay Rickerman, an experienced Kingsmen. Rickerman only faced four batters before closing out the seventh inning. He threw nine strikes out of 14 pitches.
Will Watson hopped back into the center of the diamond for the Kingsmen for two innings on the mound. He went three up three down in the eighth and ninth. Watson tallied just one strikeout but threw 11 strikes for 16 pitches.
Max Heverly, a key player for the Kingsmen, made a huge momentum shift in the game when he made a diving catch in the top of the ninth for the third out. The Bruins were in the lead 4-3 at the time but Heverly's defensive stop sparked a fire in the Kingsmen.
The Purple and Gold had a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth with Kyle Reuser at the plate. Reuser hit a dime right up the middle to send the guy on second home to tie up the game.
Matt Campo came into the game to close it out in the tenth inning. Campo faced a total of five batters and delivered 11 strikes. This earned Campo the win.
Lafata started off the bottom of the tenth by getting on base with a single. Heverly, carrying his momentum from his diving play in the ninth, hit a walk off into deep center field, sending Lafata home and advancing the Kingsmen to 10-1 on the season.
The Kingsmen return to George "Sparky" Anderson Field on Friday at 2:30 pm as they host Whitman.
Box Score: CLU 5, GFU 4
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Release by Cate Boller, Assistant Sports Information Director
