THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Kyle Reuser delivered a 2-RBI single in the bottom of the 11^th as Cal Lutheran baseball defeated Piedmont 7-6 to even the series on Saturday afternoon.

Down 6-5 in the 11^th, Gordon Richardson led off with a single and Josh Quinn was next and did the same. The Kingsmen got a clutch play from Sean Blandino as a perfect bunt moved the runners over. 

Resuer did the rest as the Kingsmen evened the series with Lions. Cal Lutheran moved to 1-1 with the rubber match with Piedmont starting shortly after. 

Richardson led the way with 3 RBI and Reuser was next with two. Greg Pimentel came into the game in the 11^th and picked up the first win of the season.

Luke Wechsler was solid in his first outing of the year. He went 5.1 innings and allowed just four hits and one run, which was unearned. He struck out two batters.

Cal Lutheran broke the tie as the Kingsmen scored two runs in the fourth. With one out, Brendan Durfee walked to get things going. Max Heverly kept it going as he singled to left field, advancing Durfee to second. After a second out, Jalen Parks walked to load the bases. Ryan Farr knocked in the first run as an error by the shortstop got the Kingsmen on the board. Richardson got a RBI on the second run as a bases loaded walk doubled Cal Lutheran's lead.

Wechsler ran into some trouble in the top of the sixth and was relieved by Tristan Dupont. Dupont came in with one out and bases loaded. A passed ball allowed Piedmont to score their first run. Dupont fired up the Kingsmen as he struck out two batters, the final one with bases loaded, ending the threat.

The Kingsmen got the run back in the bottom of the inning. Heverly singled to start the inning and moved to second after a wild pitch. Joseph Scalzo scored Heverly, getting the RBI, as he singled to left field. Cal Lutheran had more chances, but the one run was all they could get in the inning.

The Lions took their first lead in the top of the seventh. Piedmont pushed across four runs and took a 5-3 lead. The Lions got to Dupont and then reliever Max Kendall. Dupont went 0.2 innings and gave up three runs, two of which were earned, and Kendall went 2.0 innings with one run allowed.

The Kingsmen knotted up the game in the bottom of the eighth. All the damage was done with two outs. Parks singled up the middle to get things going. Kaden Brennan came in to pinch run and Noah Matsumoto pinch hit. After Matsumoto drew a walk, Richardson tied up the game with a 2-RBI triple.

With neither team scoring in the ninth, the game went to extra innings. Clay Rickerman and Bryan Tierney also saw action on the mound. Rickerman went 0.2 innings and struck out one. Tierney went 1.1 and also struck out one.

Pimentel came in for the 11^th, and gave up just one run, giving his team the chance. With his teammates having his back, Pimentel picked up the first win of the season.

Box Score: CLU 7, PU 6 (11 inns.)
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