REDLANDS, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2008) –
Occidental staged a seventh inning comeback in the second game of
the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference season
opening double-header against the University of Redlands, but fell
for the second time of the day as the Tigers dropped 7-4 and 2-0
decisions at The Yard today.
Oxy's game one starter Matthew Jones
went 7.2 innings, striking out three and walking none, but was
credited with the loss as the Tigers were unable to score. Freshman
second baseman Daniel Kelley collected a pair of hits for Oxy.
Tiger DH Seth Goss, freshman shortstop Case Miyahira and Kelley
each doubled and Miyahira added a stolen base, but Oxy
couldn't push anyone across the plate as they stranded five.
A scoreless game through five and half ended
when the Bulldogs tagged Jones for a pair of runs on two solid hits
(a double and a single) and a sac fly in the bottom of the sixth.
Kieran Doherty came out of the pen to record the final out of the
eighth for the Tigers.
Redlands' Nolan Nicholson tossed a
complete game, walking one striking out five for the win.
Things looked to be different in the first
half inning of game two as Occidental jumped out to a 1-0 lead.
Miyahira singled and stole second before coming home on a single to
the right side by senior catcher Adam Franks. The Bulldogs hit Oxy
starter Noel Banuelos hard, scoring three runs on four hits in the
bottom of the first to take a lead they would not relinquish.
In the top of the eighth the Tiger bats woke
up. Goss drew a walk to lead things off before Miyahira and Matt
Andersen hit back-to-back singles. Goss and Miyahira rounded the
bases on a double to right center off the bat of Franks. Junior
transfer Ryan Falck then hit a fly ball to left, scoring Andersen
to cut the deficit to 7-4, which would end up as the final.
Occidental's freshman duo of Ross
Pomerantz and Brooks Belter combined to throw 5.1 innings in
relief. Belter retired the side in both the fifth and sixth
innings, striking out a pair. Doherty came in to finish out the
final 1.2, getting Redlands' Brian
Schumaker to ground into a 6-4-3 double-play to end the seventh. He
finished the game with a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final
batter he faced.
The Redlands starter, Mike McCarthy threw 7.2
innings, getting the win, while Kevin Bissell came in to earn the
save.
Occidental falls to 2-4, 0-2 SCIAC while the
Bulldogs improve to 8-1, 2-0. The teams had game one rained out and
will play on Tuesday at Anderson Field.
