THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Puget Sound baseball team set out to California this weekend to play against California Lutheran University and California Institute of Technology. The Loggers lost on opening day, 7-1 to Cal Lu, but made a comeback to win twice against Cal Tech on Saturday with scores of 12-2 and 6-5. Puget Sound finished out the weekend with a 9-2 loss against Cal Lu on Sunday. 

Friday Game 1 – California Lutheran 7, Puget Sound 1

The Cal Lu Kingsmen ran in twice in the bottom of the first inning, Josh Quinn and Blake Wink both hit singles and were scored by Lucas Danielewicz followed by a sacrifice fly from Sebastian Smith to take an early 2-0 lead. They grabbed another run in the second inning following a pass ball.

In the top of the third, the Puget Sound Loggers Drew Kamihara scored Kellen Krebs off a sacrifice fly to center field just after Joshua Carillo played a sacrifice bunt, this would be the solo run they would score. Krebs hit a double to get on base. The Kingsmen would score in the next two innings to lead 4-1, however in the eighth inning, the Loggers had there third pitching change of the game from Logan Cindric to Erik Bell and the Kingsmen would add three more to the score. 

Davis Franklin lost, pitching in five innings with three earned runs allowed and five strikeouts. Nevan Lee and Cindric each pitched one inning, but no runs were earned in the sixth and seventh innings. The Kingsmen had 12 hits, while the Loggers only had four. 

Sunday Game 4 – California Lutheran 9, Puget Sound 2

The Kingsmen struckout the Loggers and took an early 2-0 lead when Blake Wink homered to center field after Josh Quinn hit a double down the left line. 

An initial hit by the pitch for the Kingsmen helped to score four more in the second inning, scoring in Kai Caranto, Carlos Vega, Quinn scored on consecutive wild pitches. The Loggers swapped Charlie Decker for Preston Crockett who tried to dig out of the hole, unfortunately Wink scored when Lucas Danielewicz singled to left field. 

The Kingsmen garbbed three more runs in the bottom of the third, but the Loggers held them off in the next six innings. The Loggers finally scored in the top of the seventh inning as Aidan Sullivan started the hits with a double to left center followed by walk for Carrillo and a single from Drew Kamihara, but an error by Cal Lu helped advance Carrillo and Sullivan to home plate. The Loggers were unable to score again, falling 9-2 in the end. 

PASADENA, Calif. – The Loggers traveled to the California Institute of Technology Beavers to match off in a double-header two-game series on Saturday at North Field. The Loggers ended the first match in eight innings, 12-2, and then closed out the second match 6-5. 

Saturday Game 2 – Puget Sound 12, Cal Tech 2

Crockett led the Loggers with three runs and three hits. Nathan Blocher scored his first triple of the season, scoring two runs in the win. Kamihara scored two runs and had one hit. Sean Murphy and Davis Franklin both had doubles on the day. Makana Murashige delivered three RBI's, two hits and a run. 

The Loggers started the scoring in the top of the first, Kamihara singled to right center followed by a triple from Blocher that ran Kamihara in. Franklin sacrificed out to left field to run Blocher in and lead 2-0. 

Cal Tech replied with a home run from Jack Fishel down the right field line. No one would score again until the top of the fifth when Murashige's single to left field would propel Crockett to score and then Fishel would swing for a single to advance Wang home. The Loggers would still lead 3-2.

The Loggers continued to score in the sixth inning adding four runs to the score. With the bases loaded Crockett singled to right field to advance Nicholas Prater to score followed by Krebs adding to the score on a wild pitch. Aidan Sullivan would score next when Blocher was walked by Jacob Alderete. The final run came from a sacrifice fly by Murashige who ran Crockett in. 

The game went scoreless for three innings until the Loggers stole another five runs from Crockett, Kamihara, Blocher, Cadence Ueyama, and Murashige.

Brett Harvey won on the mound, pitching for five innings, adding five strikeouts and only two earned runs in the win. 

Saturday Game 3 – Puget Sound 6, Cal Tech 5

The second game went scoreless until the top of the fourth inning when Gio Parascondola helped walk Murashige into home plate. The Loggers scored again in the fifth inning, McCullar singled to center field to bring Franklin in. 

The Loggers lost control in the bottom of the fifth as the Beavers took an 5-2 lead. Garrett Knuf started with a single to left field followed by a double down the left line for Wang, both scored along with Fishel, Thorsen Kristufek who scored on a balk, and Mark Hu. 

McCullar scored Blocher on a single up the middle in the top of the seventh. The top of the ninth sealed the win for the Loggers as the first two hits grounded out. McCullar saved the Loggers singling out to right center and scoring off Krebs single to left center. Prater doubled to left center to score in Cody Hirano for the lead and final run of the game.

Logger Baseball will travel to Oregon to face Lewis and Clark College on Saturday, February 24 at 11 a.m. to open Northwest Conference play.