COLLEGE HIGHLIGHTS : Cal Lutheran Capitalizes on 9th-Inning Error, 10-9

Cal Lutheran’s Tracy Rothe scored from second base on a throwing error in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday as the Kingsmen came from behind to defeat Eastern Connecticut State, 10-9, in a nonconference game at Cal Lutheran.

Cal Lutheran trailed, 9-7, when Eastern Connecticut pitcher Gary Greene walked three batters and hit another to make the score 9-8. With two outs, Dennis Mihelic’s infield single drove in the tying run and Rothe scored the winning run when the second baseman overthrew first base.

Cal Lutheran improved its record to 6-10 despite making six errors.

Reliever Jim McGary pitched the last two innings for the victory, improving his record to 3-0. Mihelic had two hits and drove in four runs to lead Cal Lutheran’s 10-hit attack.

Eastern Connecticut (5-5) used one hit and three Cal Lutheran errors to take a 5-0 lead in the first inning.

Cal Lutheran fought back then went ahead, 6-5, on a three-run home run by Mihelic in the sixth.

Eastern Connecticut regained the lead, 8-6, in the eighth on Jeff Jenson’s three-run homer, and took advantage of three more Cal Lutheran errors to increase its lead to 9-7 before the Kingsmen struck in the ninth.

SOFTBALL

Karen Mead pitched her third no-hitter and had a run-scoring triple as Moorpark shut out Santa Monica, 4-0, in a Western State Conference game at Moorpark.

Mead, a returning all-Southern California Regional selection, struck out 11 and walked one. It was Mead’s fifth career no-hitter.

At Canyons, Pierce second baseman Dianne Nichols went 2 for 4 with 4 RBIs to lead the Brahmas to a 5-2 win over Canyons in a Western State Conference game.

Pauline Madrid pitched a two-hitter for Pierce (6-6, 2-1 in conference). Canyons fell to 6-6, 1-2 in conference.

TENNIS

The Pierce men’s tennis team completed the first round of its Western State Conference schedule with a perfect record by defeating Ventura, 8-1, at Pierce.

Pierce (9-2, 8-0 in conference) holds a one-match lead over second-place Bakersfield (7-1).

Pierce’s No. 3 player, Alex Olaya, defeated Joe Tayag, 6-4, 7-5. Pierce’s Robert Grundy and Dave Valastro defeated Dan Mainzer and Scott Wigton, 6-1, 6-1, in the No. 1 doubles match.

VOLLEYBALL

Ron Dugar had 13 kills to pace Pierce to a 12-15, 15-12, 15-5, 15-9 Western State Conference victory over Westmont at Pierce.

Darin Hansen recorded 16 blocks for Pierce (5-3). Westmont is 2-5.