CLU NOTEBOOK: TIME LIMIT CREATES TWO TIES ONE STALEMATE WENT 12 INNINGS, CAL LUTHERAN'S LONGEST GAME IN 11 YEARS.

Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS - Four more runs and it would have been a perfect weekend.

Instead, the Cal Lutheran baseball team headed into spring break by winning just one of four games at last weekend's California Invitational. Not even the longest CLU game since 1989 could produce a win.

On the bright side, the Kingsmen only lost one game. With a tight tournament schedule that featured a 2 hour, 45 minute time limit per game, CLU had two ties, including one against nationally ranked Chapman, which has given the Kingsmen two of its five losses this season.

CLU (13-5-2) opened the tournament Saturday with an eight-inning 9-8 loss to Redlands despite Mark Torrey's 3-for-4, three-RBI performance. The Kingsmen get a rematch with the Bulldogs in the first game back from spring break when Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play resumes March 31.

CLU's win came in Saturday's second game, a seven-inning 16-2 victory against Lewis and Clark. Eric Medina went 4 for 4 with three doubles and three RBI, and freshman Taylor Slimak went 3 for 5 with four RBI.

Sunday, the No. 22 Kingsmen gave up a 6-3 lead in the ninth to tie No. 10 Chapman 6-6.

They followed with a 1-1 tie against Pacific Lutheran. A sacrifice flyby Dan Loyd in the first inning gave CLU its only run in the 12-inning game, the team's longest contest in 11 years. Scott Courneya and David Gonzalez combined to strike out 14 Lutes. Gonzalez retired all 14 batters he faced.

--Record watch: CLU coach Marty Slimak, in his seventh year, surpassed the school record for career wins earlier this month when the Kingsmen swept La Verne for his 194th victory.

Now it's softball player Mandi Comer's turn to set a record. The senior third baseman from Camarillo is a double away from setting the school career record of 40 set by Aimee Snider.

--Tough weekend: The Regals softball team plays in Cal State Hayward's Pioneer Women's Softball Classic, which starts Friday. CLU is hoping for better results this weekend.

The Regals (9-19) lost five of six games at the Sun West Classic last weekend were outscored 55-19.

Jennifer Lemons pitched a complete game to earn the only win, 2-1 against Pacific Lutheran on Saturday. But a pitching shortage meant the junior had to pitch three consecutive complete games.

After this weekend's tournament, the Regals are off until SCIAC play resumes April 8.

--Another match, another victory: The Kingsmen golf team (4-0 in dual matches) took first place at the eight-team Monterey Bay Invitational. CLU shot a team total 956 in the three-round event Monday and Tuesday at Black Horse and Bayonet golf courses.

Junior Brent Hendon led the Kingsmen with a 54-hole 234, one stroke ahead of teammate Anthony Zinnato.

The Kingsmen return to action April 6 for a SCIAC match against Occidental.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Eric Medina and the Cal Lutheran baseball team emerged from last weekend's California Invitational with a 1-1-2 record.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) SLIMAK