CLU’s Playoff Appearance Amounts to Nothing After Consecutive Shutouts

The Cal Lutheran baseball team has enjoyed surprising success against Division I opponents this spring. In fact, that has been one of the reasons the Kingsmen set a school record for wins.

But unfortunately for CLU, the school was playing supposedly weaker NAIA opponents in the District 3 playoffs. The adjustment proved difficult for the Kingsmen, who were eliminated Friday after failing to score for the second time in two days in a 5-0 loss to Azusa Pacific at Westmont College.

Junior right-hander Jose Gallardo (5-2) had much to do with stifling the Kingsmen offense. He threw a complete-game six-hitter and kept the Cal Lutheran batters off balance with an excellent slow curve.

“We go against Division I schools and face heaters (fastball pitchers) and we’re fine,” Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Hill said. “But these guys with the zingers have given us trouble all year.”

Offensively, Ruben Campas led Azusa Pacific with three hits, including a second-inning triple and a bases-loaded single in the fifth that keyed a three-run rally.

The back-to-back shutouts marked the first time this season that Cal Lutheran (31-18) has been blanked in consecutive games and provided a bitter end to an otherwise successful season.

Darnell Mitchell’s fifth-inning double was Cal Lutheran’s only extra-base hit. And even when the Kingsmen did connect against Gallardo’s curve, the Azusa Pacific pitcher worked out of trouble.

Cal Lutheran loaded the bases in the fourth with one out, but Leonard Matsumoto popped out and Dan Weis grounded to first to stall the rally.

“You’ve got to give credit to Gallardo,” Hill said. “He had a rhythm and we just could not get the key hit when we needed it. That hurt us in both games.”

“If Jose throws strikes, he is capable of handling any team,” Azusa Pacific Coach Tony Barbone said.

Campas, who led the Cougars’ 12-hit attack, started things by tripling to right-center in the second and scoring on Reynold Douge’s fly to center, then helped chase CLU starter Jay Anderson in the fourth.

In that inning, Campas hit the dirt when an Anderson fastball sailed near his head, but he got up and promptly whacked a single up the middle.

Campas said he did not suspect that the wayward pitch was intentional but felt especially gratified to hit a single back past the mound.

“That hit felt great, especially when it goes right back up the middle,” Campas said.

Campas’ big blow came in the fifth when he slapped a two-out bloop single with the bases loaded to knock in two runs. Douge followed with a run-scoring double to right to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead.

After Douge’s hit, Dean Martinez came in and held the Cougars (29-19) to one hit in 3 1/3 innings.