THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - With all but one of 16 combined runs scored in the first three innings, the Puget Sound Loggers fell to the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen, 12-4, in a non-conference baseball game on Saturday at Ullman Stadium in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

The Kingsmen were the visiting team in the contest, despite playing on their home field, and they took advantage of first ups as they put two quick runs on the board to take the early lead.  CLU added three more runs in the top of the second to push the lead to 5-0 but the Loggers responded in the bottom of the frame with a solo home run by Will Mentor (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep).

Cal Lutheran exploded for seven runs in the top of the third, chasing Logger starter Nathan Aquiar (Los Gatos, Calif.) after just two and one-third innings but James Lane (Silverdale, Wash./Avila University) came in and pitched his way out of the jam.  In the bottom of the third, the Loggers put a dent in the deficit, using a two RBI double by senior Mark Rockey (Mountlake Terrace, Wash./Univ. of New Mexico) that scored Doug Cox (Kailua, Hawaii/Kalaheo) and Jarvis Nohara (Honolulu, Hawaii/Iolani).

The final run of the game came in the bottom of the fifth as Rockey singled to left center to score Dakota Resnik (Bellevue, Wash./Newport) from second but the Loggers weren't able to plate anymore runs, falling 12-4.

Faced with fresh innings, Lane shined in relief for the Loggers, allowing just three hits over the final six innings to finish with three runs on six hits with three strikeouts in six and two-thirds innings pitched.  Rockey finished the game two of three from the play with three RBIs, as well as nine putouts and an assist at first base.

The Loggers will wrap up the four-game California road trip on Sunday afternoon when they take on Whittier.