TUCSON, Ariz. - Matthew Sox was solid on the mound and at the plate, batting 2-4 with with one run while striking out 10 hitters and allowing one earned run in seven complete innings. The effort couldn't push the Blues over the top, however, as the Whitman College baseball team fell to Cal Lutheran, 7-2, on Sunday in their final game of the Arizona Cactus Classic.

The two teams played an even game heading to the bottom of the eighth inning. The Kingsmen (4-0) plated two in the second inning after Sox gave up a pair of base hits to Ryne Yamashiro (1 H, 1 R) and Daniel Parr (1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI) to open the frame. Both would score to put CLU up 2-0.

Whitman tied up the contest with a pair of runs in the fifth. Ben Parker (1 H, 1 R) and Kepa Supnet (1 H, 1 R) opened the inning with singles off CLU starter Zach Hoffman. Sox, who had settled in nicely on the mound, helped his own cause with a run-scoring infield hit. Supnet later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.

The game appeared poised for an exciting finish, but CLU had other ideas. Taking advantage of the Whitman bullpen, Kyle Rueser (2 H, 1 R, 1 RBI) opened the inning with a homerun to regain the lead then Joe Scalzo (1 H, 2 RBI) delivered a two-run triple to blow the game open.

Ben Ortiz (0-1) was tagged with the loss for the Blues (0-4). Clay Rickerman (1-0) pitched three innings of scoreless relief to earn the win for the Kingsmen. 

Whitman heads to Oregon next weekend for the NWC Round Robin. The Blues open the tournament against Whitworth on Friday, Feb. 14.