CMS Baseball Splits Doubleheader Against Cal Lutheran

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Baseball team won the first game of the twin bill 4-1 over Cal Lutheran and dropped the night-cap 4-3 at Bill Arce Field on Saturday. Justin Hull tossed 8.0 innings allowing one unearned run in game one to lift the Stags to victory and Zach Clarke hit two home runs in game two despite the loss. 

The Stags move to 2-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play with the split doubleheader and the Kingsmen sit at 5-2 overall and 2-1 in SCIAC play after taking two of three from CMS over the split home and home three-game series. 

Game 1

Justin Hull (W, 2-1) set a tone early and often during his 8.0 innings of work. He allowed one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts and no walks during his gem. So far this season, Hull has allowed no more than one run in each of his three starts and paces the Stags with a 0.90 ERA. 

The Stags got on the board in the sixth inning when Ryan Motter doubled to center field scoring CJ Novogradac and Carson Bridges singled to right scoring Motter to crack a scoreless tie and give CMS 2-0 lead through six innings. 

In the eighth, the Stags added two more runs on a sacrifice bunt by Truman Miller scoring Motter and a single to center field by Kevin Nakahara scoring Marco Castillo extending the lead to 4-0. 

BSB: CMS scores two runs on four hits in the bottom of the 8th, extends its lead to 4-0. Nakahara singles in a run #GoStags #GoCMS pic.twitter.com/xnA4EouP28

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) February 23, 2019

Cal Lutheran was held to three hits by the starter Hull and managed its only run in the top of the ninth inning on a pair of defensive miscues by the Stags that allowed Ryne Yamashiro to reach along with Kaden White to eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Nick Pico cutting the CMS lead to 4-1. 

Danny Porras (S, 1) was brought on to relieve Hull after the first two batters reached in the ninth and closed out his first save of the season. Clarke finished 2-for-4, Nakahara went 3-for-5 with a double and one RBI, Ryan Motter went 2-for-4 with one RBI, and Carson Bridges posted two hits and one RBI. 

Game 2 

In Game 2, the Stags and Kingsmen would slug it out to a 4-3 final with Cal Lutheran coming on top despite two home runs by Clarke. The two SCIAC foes combined for 15 hits in the one-run game. 

The Kingsmen grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a single to center field by Kaden White scoring Tanner Wright and giving CLU one-run lead. The lead would not hold for long as Clarke launched his second home run of the season in the home-half of the first inning knotting the score at 1-1. 

BSB: HOME RUN! Zach Clarke hammers his second home run of the season, CMS 1, CLU 1 through one inning #GoStags #GoCMS pic.twitter.com/B8qpUq85aX

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) February 23, 2019

Stags starting pitcher Josh Cordova (L, 0-1) tossed 4.0 innings allowing three earned runs with two walks, two strikeouts, and was saddled with the loss after surrendering two fourth-inning runs on a Pico home run to center field giving the Kingsmen a 3-1 lead. 

The Stags would scratch across one run in the sixth on another Clarke homer, marking his third home run of the season, a solo shot to left field. 

BSB: Another HOME RUN for Zach Clarke! CMS trails 4-2 with his second home run of the game #GoStags #GoCMS pic.twitter.com/9F5hyYy9eF

— CMS Athletics (@AthleticsCMS) February 23, 2019

CMS scored another run in the seventh on a ground out by Nakahara scoring Castillo and cutting the game to a 4-3 deficit, but that's as close as the Stags would get as they fell by that score in the second end of the twin-bill. 

Nakahara once again finished with three hits in four plate appearances, batting 6-for-9 with two RBI in total for the day's action. Clarke went 2-for-4 (2 HR) with two RBI, and Patrick Gavin, Castillo, and Pat Shore finished with one hit apiece. The Stags out hit the Kingsmen 8 to 7 in the finale of the doubleheader.

Brandon Mitchell tossed 4.1 solid innings allowing one earned run on four hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Porras took the mound in the top of the ninth in an attempt to give the Stags a chance to keep the game close and tie it in the bottom of the frame, he did just that working 0.2 of an inning clean. 

In the bottom of the ninth inning, the Stags put the tying run on base after Bridges was hit by a pitch with two outs, but were unable to plate the game-tier and fell by the slimmest of margins, 4-3. 

CLU's White finished 2-for-4 with one RBI, Pico went 1-for-2 with two RBI, and Wright went 1-for-3 with one RBI. 

CMS Baseball will be back in action on Friday, Mar. 1 at Bill Arce Field against Redlands with first pitch scheduled for 2:30 p.m.