Kyle Otting

Junior Philip Jeong, representing the winning run batted in by sophomore Jacob Blickenderfer, slides headfirst into home as teammates celebrate behind him.

The California Lutheran University Kingsmen baseball team (20-8, 8-4 conference) walked off the University of Redlands Bulldogs (15-15, 9-6 conference) 2-1 on Friday at George “Sparky” Anderson Field. With winds whipping across the diamond, the Kingsmen survived a tightly contested pitchers’ duel until the last swing of the game. 

Sophomore Jacob Blickenderfer delivered the game-winning hit, sending the go-ahead run home with a single through the right side. 

The tone was set by junior pitcher Max McGrady, who went 8.1 innings, and allowed just one run on five hits. 

“It’s just rinse and repeat every inning,” McGrady said. “I just try to take each batter at a time, each inning at a time.” 

During the game, winds reached a high of 22 miles per hour, according to time and date weather. Rather than overpowering hitters, McGrady said he leaned into the windy conditions. With the wind limiting fly balls, he trusted his defense and attacked the zone. 

“[The wind] honestly gives me confidence to pitch more to contact,” McGrady said. “A lot of stuff in the air will hopefully get caught by my outfielders with the help of the wind.” 

Head Coach Erik Scherer said the team’s approach remained the same, even in the rough conditions. 

“There’s certain things that we can control and other things that we can’t, and weather is one of those,” Scherer said. “They’ve got to play in the wind too, and our job is just to try to stay focused and make the plays.”

The game’s turning point came in the ninth inning. After McGrady issued a walk, Scherer made the decision to remove him from the game. 

“I felt like he had done everything that he possibly could have done to keep us in that game,” Scherer said. 

Sophomore right-handed pitcher Aidan Buntich entered the game and successfully closed out the top of the ninth, giving the Kingsmen a chance to secure the win. 

“We just needed to give ourselves a way to scratch across one,” Scherer said. 

This led to the at-bat of Blickenderfer. With runners on first and second, and the game on the line, Blickenderfer said he kept his approach the same as it had been throughout the game. 

“I kind of just … tried to find my pitch and not get too big,” Blickenderfer said. 

Blickenderfer delivered a single through the gap between first and second base, scoring junior Philip Jeong from second. According to Blickenderfer, this marked his first collegiate game-winning hit, which was “pretty special.”

On Saturday, the Kingsmen split their doubleheader with the Bulldogs.

In game one, Redlands took control in a high-scoring matchup, pulling away in the middle innings. The Kingsmen stayed competitive in the beginning, but were unable to keep up with the Bulldogs’ offensive surge, losing the game 10-3. Offensively, a highlight for the Kingsmen was junior Wyatt Crosby’s homer to right field. 

In game two, Cal Lutheran was able to bounce back with a 7-6 victory, powered by strong offense and a solid bullpen outing. The Kingsmen totaled 13 hits, with junior Kai Caranto driving in three runs, including a home run, to lead the team to victory.

After building their lead, the bullpen took care of business, with junior left-hander Colten Hanson earning the win in relief. Sophomore pitcher Aidan Buntich closed the game and secured the split of the doubleheader and the series win.

The Kingsmen will next play the University of La Verne Leopards on away turf this Friday, April 10 at 3 p.m.