TUCSON, Ariz. – Caltech Baseball swung their way into the program record book with a run rule win over the Luther College Norse on Monday morning at the Tucson Invitational Games. The Beavers' 18 runs were the most scored by a Caltech team against an NCAA opponent in program history.

Batting first as the designated home team, the Beavers went down quietly in the first while allowing a run for the Norse in the bottom of the inning, but then Caltech's bats heated up in the second. Jack Warren led off with an infield single, Mark Hu followed with a single through the left side of the infield, and Fishel loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch. Two batters later, it was Gautam Chawla's turn, and he belted one over the outfield wall for a one-out grand slam and a 4-1 Caltech lead. Luther only responded with one run in the bottom of the frame and Caltech retained a two-run lead through two innings.

Leo Jenkins led off the top of the third inning with a double to deep center field, scoring after Thorsen Kristufek advanced him with a single and running home on Warren's RBI fielder's choice, but the Norse responded with three runs in their next two innings to tie the game 5-5 after four.

Then came the Beavers' five-run fifth, marked another Kristufek base hit, two Caltech hit batsmen helping load the bases, and Fishel connecting for a two-out, two RBI single to regain the lead. Then Cameron McNamee stepped up as the first batter against Luther's relief pitcher, promptly lighting him up with a three-run homer. It was 10-5 Caltech, and the Beavers weren't done.

Will Dembski led off the sixth with a single, Jenkins drew a walk, and Kristufek blasted everyone home with a three-run home run. After the Beavers retired the Norse batters in order in the bottom of the sixth, holding them scoreless for a second consecutive inning, Dembski hit another leadoff single in the top of the seventh. Jenkins walked again, Warren singled once more to load the bases, and then a defensive error on Hu's grounder allowed Dembski and Jenkins to score. Fishel then drove Warren home with an RBI double, Edward Speer earned an RBI after being hit by a wayward pitch with the bases loaded, and Dembski, up for the second time in the inning, drew a walk to score Fishel. Caltech led 18-5 at the seventh inning stretch.

With the ten run rule now in effect, Luther's hopes of seeing the eighth inning required a four-run seventh, and while they succeded at putting balls in play and scoring a few runs, Jenkins came in to pitch with two out and he retired the final Norse batter with a swinging strikeout. The Beavers won 18-8, the most runs in an NCAA game in program history.

In all, Jenkins led both teams with four runs scored, and while Chawla led with four runs batted in, Kristufek, Fishel, McNamee and Chawla all drove in three.

Fishel played the full seven innings despite being hit by three pitches, earning a unique stat line of three runs and three RBI on two hits in two at-bats, and he was the only Beaver to steal a base in the game.

Starter Steven Yee earned the win just one out shy of a complete game, striking out three Norse batters along the way. 

Head Coach Kevin Whitehead face the Carleton College Knights Monday afternoon before wrapping up the trip with a Tuesday rematch against the Yeomen of Oberlin College.