Taylor-Made Strategy Spells Heady Victory for Master’s : Pitcher Uses Fielders, Finesse to Beat Cal Lutheran

Kevin Taylor isn’t much interested in hurling 90 m.p.h fastballs or overpowering batters. Using guile and finesse, he would rather let The Master’s College defense record the outs.

Taylor’s strategy occasionally backfires, however, which accounted for his 6.49 earned-run average and 2-5 record entering Thursday’s game against Cal Lutheran.

Against the Kingsmen, however, it worked to perfection, as the senior right-hander threw a seven-hitter in Master’s 6-3 NAIA District III victory at Master’s.

“He mixed up his pitches better than he has in a long time,” Master’s Coach Pat Harrison said. “He had some real good defense behind him.”

Despite Taylor’s efforts--he struck out 11 and walked three--Master’s needed a rally to win.

With Cal Lutheran leading, 3-1, after six innings, the Mustangs scored three runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth.

Master’s (17-16, 8-5 in district games) has won 7 of 8 and 10 of 13.

Cal Lutheran also received a strong outing from starter Greg Minick (1-6), who went 7 innings and suffered the loss.

“Greg threw a great game,” Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Hill said. “If we make the plays behind him, that’s a ‘W’ for us.”

The Kingsmen made four errors, including two in the first inning leading to Master’s first run.

Cal Lutheran scored two runs in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Henry Campos walked and went to third on Dan Weis’ hit over second base. Campos scored on Jon Egertson’s infield groundout, which moved Weis to second. Weis advanced to third on a balk and scored on Kevin Wynn’s single to left.

Tom Bonds led off the seventh with a home run to left to put Cal Lutheran ahead, 3-1.

The Mustangs roughed up Minick for three runs on three hits in the seventh to take a 4-3 lead. Mark MacArthur singled and scored on Dave Mayr’s double to left. Tony Ellis singled home Daren Beck from third to tie the score. Beck had hit into a fielder’s choice, stolen second and moved to third on a passed ball.

Jeff Lane, who represented the go-ahead run, reached base when Wynn dropped the third strike. Ted Grissom, running for Lane, moved to second on Ellis’ single and scored on Jeff Holen’s sacrifice fly to center.

Mayr hit a two-run single in the eighth to score Tim Kane and Eric Beagles. Kane had singled up the middle and Beagles reached base on an error. Ellis led Master’s in hitting with a double and two singles. He also knocked in the game-tying run.

“This was probably the best we’ve played as a team,” Harrison said.

For Hill, whose Kingsmen have lost two of three to drop to 12-15, 6-7, it was yet another game of frustration.

“We just haven’t been able to put the three phases of the game together--hitting, pitching and fielding,” he said.