Big Bats Sweep Cal Lu in 2018 Season Finale

CLAREMONT, Calif. – What a way to end the season. The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team swept the defending National Champions, Cal Lutheran, by scores of 8-7 and 13-3 to end the season on a high note. Trey Smith (CMC) smacked a walk-off home run off the left field foul pole on the first pitch in the bottom of the ninth in Game One to give the Stags an 8-7 victory before CMS collected 17 hits in the night-cap of the doubleheader to earn a run-rule victory by a 13-3 final.

Game One – CMS defeats Cal Lutheran 8-7

The Stags held a 7-5 lead heading to the ninth inning, but the bullpen could not hold the lead in the top half of the frame. Cal Lutheran scored a pair of runs with a sacrifice fly and a double down the left field line to tie the game at 7-7 heading to the bottom of the inning.

Trey Smith took a hack at the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the frame and yanked a ball down the left field line that hit the foul pole about halfway up to give the Stags the 8-7 victory in dramatic fashion. The homer was Smith's fourth of the season.

Earlier in the game, the Stags took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the second when Ryan Motter (CMC) ripped a bases clearing double to the left center gap to score Patrick Gavin (CMC), Brandon Mitchell (CMC), and Alex Clemens (CMC). The Kingsmen chipped away at the Stags' lead and eventually tied the game with a run in the fourth and a pair of runs in the fifth.

CMS responded with their second, three-run inning of the game in the bottom of the fifth with Henri Levenson (CMC) driving home two runs with a single to center field after Pat Shore (CMC) and Motter both reached on base hits to lead off the inning.

A throwing error in the sixth allowed Cal Lutheran to score a pair of runs and pull with one at 6-5, but CMS responded with an insurance run in the bottom of the inning when Pat Shore connected for his first career home run to lead off the frame.

Zeros in the seventh and eighth for both team set up the wild ninth inning that ended with one swing of the bat from Trey Smith.

On the hill, Cameron Cash (CMC) went 7.2 strong innings, allowing two earned runs (five total runs) while scattering nine hits and walking one. He struck out three in the game.

John O'Malley (CMC) earned his third win of the year after working two thirds of an inning in relief.

Christian Slattery took the loss in the game after throwing just one pitch in the bottom of the ninth. He fell to 1-4 on the season.

Game Two – CMS defeats Cal Lutheran 13-3 (Seven Innings)

Game Two was a hit parade from start to finish for the Stags. Eight of the Stags' nine starters collected at least one hit with the top six batters in the order each earning multi-hit games. CJ Novogradac went 4-5 with four runs scored and a pair of runs batted in. Patrick Gavin (CMC) finished a triple shy of the cycle to help lead the CMS offensive effort.

On the bump, Justin Hull (CMC) kept the Kingsmen in check, tossing a seven-inning complete game, while scattering eight hits and three earned runs to claim his fifth victory of the season. Hull picked up six strikeouts in the game, including five swinging strikeouts.

CMS scored single runs in the first and second innings to take a 2-0 lead before blowing the game open with multiple-run innings in the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh to eventually end the game by a run-rule victory.

Trey Smith got the party started with a two-out double in the bottom of the first that chased CJ Novogradac around from first. Leading off the bottom of the second, Patrick Gavin hammered a solo home run to left center to give CMS the 2-0 lead.

The third inning was the only frame that the Stags were held scoreless, as Cal Lutheran turned the Stags away in order.

In the fourth, the Stags were right back to their hitting ways with two more runs coming home after a tremendous at bat from Alex Clemens resulted in a double to the left field wall. With the Stags leading 4-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth, CMS began to pour it on. Henri Levenson led off the frame with a home run to right center and two more runs came into score after the Stags loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder's choice and a ground out got the job done and CMS led 7-1 heading to the sixth.

While the Kingsmen scored a pair of runs in the top of the inning, CMS struck for three more in the home half of the frame with Novogradac ripping an RBI double down the left field line and Chase Eller bringing home two with a single to left.

Needing three runs to end the game with a mercy-rule victory in the bottom of the seventh, the Stags delivered with their third-straight, three-run inning. Novogradac singled through the left side to bring Motter around from second base and later in the inning Patrick Gavin was hit by a pitch to bring in a run with two away in the inning. Nick DeGallier (CMC) then worked a five-pitch walk that forced in the Stags' 13th run of the game and enacted the mercy-rule victory for the Stags at 13-3.

CMS finishes the season 18-22 overall and 9-15 in the SCIAC.