Cal Lutheran Continues Streak Over The Masterâs in Doubleheader Sweep
When Dan Pastor takes the mound against The Masterâs, itâs a safe bet that Cal Lutheran will come out on top. Itâs a lot like taking the Harlem Globetrotters against the Washington Generals.
Not that Pastor is Cal Lutheranâs only hope against the Mustangs. The Kingsmen havenât lost to The Masterâs since Al Schoenberger became the Cal Lutheran coach in 1980. That totals 19 straight games, including five this season.
Pastor and the Kingsmen kept the streak going Saturday afternoon at Cal Lutheran, sweeping The Masterâs in an NAIA District III doubleheader.
They won the first game, 14-4, and took the second, behind Pastor, 7-5. It was Pastorâs third victory over the Mustangs.
Cal Lutheran improved to 14-7 overall and 5-4 in District play. The Masterâs (10-19, 4-9), which two weeks ago had won seven of eight, lost its seventh straight.
Pastor received a big cushion in the second game after Cal Lutheran scored four in the first and three in the third to take a 7-0 lead. He faltered, however, in the fourth and fifth and let The Masterâs back into the game.
Pastor walked third baseman Terry Sloan to lead off the fourth, and Kurt Theilen followed with a single to right. Catcher Matt MacArthur then unloaded on a Pastor offering for a three-run homer to left. It was MacArthurâs second home run of the season.
In the fifth, Sloan singled in Aaron Dennis, who had walked and moved to second on Tony Delloâs single. Two outs later, Pastor walked three straight batters to force Sloan home. Pastor got out of the inning when Shane Carriger grounded out to short.
The victory improved Pastorâs record to 5-0.
âI won it âugly,â â he said afterward. âI havenât given up less than five runs against them in any of my starts. All I need is eight runs, and Iâll take care of the rest.â
Pastor was kidding, but Cal Lutheran hasnât been. The Kingsmen have averaged eight runs a game.
Mustangs Coach John Zeller doesnât think Cal Lutheran holds any kind of secret to success over The Masterâs. He knows what it takes to beat the Kingsmen.
âAgainst Cal Lu, you just have to keep them down,â he said, referring to the Kingsmenâs powerful offense. âBut they have a very good hitting ballclub.â
He found that out in the first game, when Cal Lutheran sent 17 men to the plate in the fifth inning and scored 11 times to stretch a 3-2 edge to a 14-2 cushion for pitcher Dan Meltregger (3-1).
Ed Howard and Derrick Evans had the key hits in the inning, connecting on back-to-back two-run doubles. Howard had five runs batted in on the day.
The big fifth inning was an opposing pitcherâs nightmare. In The Masterâs case, the nightmare belonged to three pitchers. Starter Mike Wilson (2-4), and relievers Eric Strom and Eric Petersen were all on the wrong side of the eight-hit outburst.
So, how do you stop the Kingsmen, who are hitting better than .350?
âItâs like trying to catch a lightning bolt with a butterfly net,â Schoenberger said.
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