THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – No. 10/17 Cal Lutheran hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first and the University of La Verne baseball team never recovered as it lost, 11-2, on Friday at the Ullman Stadium.

With Occidental (12-10 SCIAC) also having lost on Friday to Pomona-Pitzer, La Verne (11-10 SCIAC) stays half a game behind Oxy in fifth place in the SCIAC standings with a game in hand.

Cal Lutheran set the tone early. After Sinjin Todd got on with a leadoff single, the reigning SCIAC Player of the Year Jake Petersen launched one to deep right center to give the Kingsmen a 2-0 lead and Ramsey Abushahlah followed with a solo shot to left that turned out to be the game-winner.

The Kingsmen scored at least one run every inning from the fourth to the eighth to pull away from the Leopards.

Down 6-0, La Verne got two back in the seventh and threatened to score more until a strange call went Cal Lutheran's way. After RBI singles by Ben White and George Holland brought the Leopards within 6-2, Michael Reyes hit a dribbler back to the mound. Petersen went to third to get Pedro Espinoza for a force out. But Cal Lutheran third baseman Davey Casciola tripped over Espinoza and the batter Reyes was called out on an interference to end the inning.

The Leopards got two on in the eighth and loaded the bases in the ninth, but could not come through.

Pedro Espinoza led the Leopards with three hits. Joe Winterburn had two.

Todd went 4-for-4 with two RBI and four runs scored for Cal Lutheran. Colin Crowl was 2-for-4 with three RBI and Abushahla was 2-for-3.

Petersen (6-2) gave up two runs in seven innings while striking out six to pick up the win and went 3-for-6 with two RBI at the plate.

Phil Schick (2-6) was tagged with the loss.

The Leopards return home on Saturday to complete the final series of the season against the Kingsmen. Before the game, La Verne will celebrate the careers of its six seniors: George Hanna, George Holland, Kevin Knight, Phil Schick, Josh Surdo and Joe Winterburn.