THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Kingsmen hosted the Panthers in pursuit of coming back to get the series win. The Purple and Gold went 2-0 on the day and took the series from under the Panthers. They took game one 5-3 and game two 13-9.
Game one was quiet offensively for the Kingsmen until the bottom of the eighth. The Purple and Gold loaded the bases and Zach Bullard stepped up to the plate. With a 1-1 count, Bullard sent a bomb over the right field fence and took the go ahead lead 4-3. Ryan Farr got the security run with a single to right center that scored Joseph Scalzo.
The Kingsmen held the lead for the final inning and tied up the series.
Alexander Rivas started on the mound for the Purple and Gold and remained there for 5.2 innings. Coming in for 2.1 innings and getting the win was Clay Rickerman. Matt Campo finished off the final inning and recorded the save, marking his seventh this season.
Game two started with a quick pitching change by the Purple and Gold. Luke Wechsler stepped onto the mound in a tight situation but went three up three down. Bases loaded with zero outs, Wechsler struck out his first batter in four pitches. Sean Blandino made the second out in left field which left one to go. Bullard, the Purple and Gold's reliable first baseman, reached over the fence for a foul ball to get out three.
Max Heverly started out the Kingsmen offense with a triple off the center field fence on the first pitch. Austin Carrillo followed up Heverly and sent him home with an RBI groundout. This concluded the scoring in inning one and the Kingsmen Trailed 3-1.
The Panthers scored two in the top of the second but the Purple and Gold answered right back. Zach Lafata had a two-RBI double to left center that sent Brendan Durfee and Gordan Richardson across home plate.
Carrillo recorded his third home run of the year in the bottom of the third bringing the score to 5-4 still in favor of the Panthers. To tie it up was a single through the right side from Blandino that scored Bullard.
The Kingsmen continued to break down the Panther's defense and scored two runs off the second baseman's error. At the end of the third they had the 7-5 lead.
The Purple and Gold stayed hot in the offense in the bottom of fourth tallying another two runs.
The scoring picked back up in the bottom of the seventh when Farr got an RBI double that scored Blandino. Shortly after, Carrillo singled through the left side, sending Farr home and putting the Kingsmen up 11-9.
To finish off the game and gain a bigger lead was a two-RBI double from Scalzo up the middle that sent Bullard and Durfee home. This gave them the 13-9 win.
The Kingsmen exercised seven of their pitchers in game two.
Box Score: CLU 5, CU 3; CLU 13, CU 9
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Release by Cate Boller, Assistant Sports Information Director
