Cal Lutheran Claims SCIAC Title With Sweep of 2nd-Place Redlands

Cal Lutheran won a doubleheader against visiting Redlands on Saturday to sweep the three-game series and give the Kingsmen the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference baseball championship.

The Kingsmen won, 5-0 and 9-7, and moved five games ahead of second-place Redlands with three SCIAC games to play. Cal Lutheran (32-2, 17-1 in SCIAC play) shut out Redlands, 4-0, on Friday at Redlands. The Bulldogs are 17-13-1, 12-6.

“It would have been a major disappointment (if we hadn’t won the conference title),” said Cal Lutheran Coach Rich Hill, whose team is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division III.

In the first game, Steve Dempsey (10-0) threw a four-hitter, striking out six and walking none. The win marked Dempsey’s 14th consecutive victory dating to last season.

Cal Lutheran’s Jim Fifer broke a 7-7 tie in the eighth inning of the second game with a one-out single that drove in Darrell McMillin. Facing right-hander Bryan Teel, Fifer hit a long fly down the right-field line that dropped for a single.

“I was just saying, ‘Drop, drop--please drop! And when it did, I knew (McMillin) would score because he’s fast,” Fifer said.

Dan Smith hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Jay Lucas for the Kingsmen’s final run.

Reliever Louis Birdt (1-0) held Redlands scoreless for the final two innings on no hits to pick up the win.

Redlands took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on four consecutive hits off starter Jeff Berman, but the Kingsmen responded in the bottom half with three runs on two hits and a walk. The Bulldogs regained the lead, 4-3, in the fourth inning, scoring two runs on five hits.

But Smith and Eddie Lample hit consecutive home runs in the fourth to boost the Kingsmen into a 5-4 lead. Cal Lutheran tacked on two more runs in the fifth to assume a 7-4 lead.

Redlands tied the score in a three-run sixth. With the bases loaded, Mike Kon drove in two runs with a single, then Marc DiCarlo drove in Tony Bartolucci with another single.

It was the first season in which the Kingsmen have competed in the SCIAC.

“This was the first part of our goal,” said Hill, whose team will be seeking another title in the Division III tournament.

The Western regional will be held May 14-17 at a site to be announced.