CLU NOTEBOOK: CLU SWEEPS TO TITLE.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - The Cal Lutheran baseball team finished conference play by sweeping Occidental in a three-game series that featured 31 Kingsmen runs and so many hits that a pitcher pinch-hit in the final game and singled.

The Kingsmen clinched their fifth consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship and an automatic berth in the Division III playoffs, which start May 18.

CLU (25-8-2) has one more tuneup before the postseason. The Kingsmen play four games in the Southern California Invitational in San Diego on Saturday and Sunday.

Among the teams at this weekend's tournament is perennial Division III power Chapman. CLU lost twice and tied against Chapman earlier this season. If the offense is as productive as it was last weekend, this could be CLU's chance for a victory.

CLU had 10 home runs in the series against Occidental and 26 hits in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Ryan Yoshiwara, Eric Medina, Jim Stout and Andy Super all had three hits, and Nick Plancich, Steve Maitland added home runs in a 14-1 victory to end the series. Wayne Mahaffey, a senior pitcher, contributed his pinch-hit single in the win that gave the Kingsmen a 19-2 SCIAC record.

--Record in reach: Junior right-hander Tom Canale moved within three victories of breaking Erik Kiszczak's school record for career wins by beating Occidental on Friday. Canale, who has 24 wins in three years,improved to 10-0 this season with an 8-1 victory in which he struck out eight in seven innings.

Kiszczak finished his CLU career last season with a 26-8 record. Canale already leads CLU's all-time strikeout list, starting the week with 302.

--Nice start: Freshman left-hander Justin Keeling earned the victory in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, his first collegiate start. He struck out eight and did not allow a walk or earned run in six innings to improve to 2-1.

--It's over: A season full of injuries, hard luck and a lot of losses is finally over for the Regals softball team.

CLU (14-27) finished on a high note by beating UC San Diego 4-3 in nine innings in a game decided using the international tiebreaker. The win gave the Regals a split in the nonconference doubleheader Saturday.

Kylie Gongola doubled twice in the game for the Regals, who managed only one hit - a bunt single by Erin Neuhaus in the seventh inning - in a 6-0 loss earlier in the day.

--Second is good enough: The Kingsmen golf team finished second at Thursday's SCIAC championship, trailing La Verne by five strokes. But CLU had enough season points to win its seventh SCIAC title in eight years.

The Kingsmen advance to the Division III championships in Battle Creek, Mich., May 15-18.

Senior Anthony Zinnato was the Kingsmen's top finisher at the conference tournament and was named the Player of the Year. He shot a 154 in the 36-hole event. Sophomore Aaron Bondi made first team All-SCIAC. Tyson Silva, Jeff Karpman and Brent Hendon earned second-team honors.