Cal Lutheran Loses Grip on Title in 9th

After surviving three elimination games, Cal Lutheran drew to within two outs of the NCAA Division III championship before Kingsmen reliever Mike Teron gave up a three-run homer to Ralph Perdomo of William Paterson.

The blast gave the Wayne, N.J., school a 3-1 victory and its first national championship before 500 Tuesday night at C.O. Brown Stadium.

It also broke the hearts of No. 1-ranked Cal Lutheran (42-6).

“To lose the way that we did . . . there’s just a knife in your stomach,” Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Hill said. “To work for 4 1/2 months as hard as we have worked and to lose a national championship like that . . . I’m still in shock.”

Said Teron, who had two saves in the tournament: “I just got it up a little bit up and he turned on it. I just threw a bad pitch.”

It was only the second home run the Kingsmen allowed in their six tournament games and Perdomo’s fifth of the season.

“The first thing that went through my mind was that my senior year in high school I was in a similar situation,” Perdomo said of a home run he hit in the New Jersey state championships.

“I was looking for my pitch. He fell behind (2 and 0) and I got it. I knew I hit it hard. I was looking for three (bases) or two, but it carried out.”

Traling, 1-0, the Pioneers (36-7) rallied in the ninth when John DiGorolamo was hit on the shoulder by a 1-and-2 pitch from Cal Lutheran starter Pat Norville.

Teron replaced Norville, who left the game with a two-hitter, eight strikeouts and two walks.

With one out, DiGorolamo stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by catcher Eddie Lample.

Keith Eaddy walked, and Perdomo delivered.