Patience Pays Off for CLU

Coach Rich Hill counseled his Cal Lutheran hitters to wait at the plate, but it did not take them long to do their damage.

The Kingsmen scored a pair of runs in the second, knocked nemesis Mike Smith out of the game in a five-run sixth and went on to beat visiting Master’s, 7-5, in an NAIA District 3 baseball game Thursday.

Smith had beaten the Kingsmen twice this season, so Hill told his players to be patient and try to get ahead in the count. They quickly got ahead in the game, as well, taking a 7-1 lead after six innings, then holding off a Master’s comeback to remain in contention for an automatic berth in the District 3 playoffs.

The independent berth is determined by the three independents’ records against one another. Master’s (20-15, 13-7 in district play) is 6-1, Cal Lutheran (26-6, 8-2) is 5-2 and Biola, the third independent, is 0-8 and out of the playoff picture. The winner of the game between Master’s and Cal Lutheran next Thursday at Master’s gains the automatic invitation and the other team will have to hope for an at-large berth.

Trailing 7-3, Master’s threatened in the ninth when it loaded the bases with none out and Andy Martin, the District 3 co-leader in home runs, coming up. Martin hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.

An error and a walk forced in another run before reliever Mike Rooney retired the final batter on a popup.

Cal Lutheran which has won 14 consecutive games and 19 of its past 20, took a 2-0 lead in the second when Dave Leonhardt hit a two-run home run to right-center. Jay Lucas struck the key blow in CLU’s five-run sixth with a three-run double to the gap in left-center.

“A two-out hit is something we haven’t been accustomed to against Master’s,” Hill said. “Lucas came up with the hit of the game.”

Peter Washington, who had four of Cal Lutheran’s 14 hits, drove in Lucas with a single to make it 7-1. Bob Farber added three hits and Eddie Lample and Jason Wilcox had two hits each for CLU.

Mike Clark (7-2) picked up the win for Cal Lutheran. After no-hitting Pomona-Pitzer last Friday, he allowed 14 hits but only three runs in eight innings.