LA VERNE, Calif. (April 17, 2009) – On
the road for the opening game of a three-game series, the teams
combined for 25 runs on 32 hits as eight different pitchers worked
in the game. In the end, the University of La Verne out-dueled
Occidental College, handing the Tigers a 14-11 loss in Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the third, Oxy got
their scoring started when Kevin Ozaki drove in
Richie Veihl, who doubled, with a single down the
left field line for the first of his three hits in the game.
Teams then exchanged five-runs in the bottom
of the fourth and top of fifth, respectively. La Verne collected
six hits, including a two-run triple by Jon-Michael Hattabaugh and
a two-run double off the bat of Donovan Petta. Occidental then
connected for six hits, with Spencer Woolwine
highlighted the inning with an RBI double, scoring, in a collision
at the plate, when Ozaki singled. Ozaki eventually stole home for
the final run of the inning.
ULV (18-12, 7-6 SCIAC) added a run in the
fifth and three more in the seventh as they batted around for the
second time of the game.
Oxy pushed a run across the plate in the
seventh before Nick Saraceni connected for a
two-run homerun in the eighth inning to pull the Tigers back in the
game. Kieran Doherty lifted a sac fly to
centerfield scoring Ozaki with his second run of the game. In the
top of the ninth inning Saraceni drove in his fourth run of the
game to get the Tigers to 11 runs, but that was as close as they
would get.
Ozaki and Saraceni each finished with three
hits while Doherty and Glenn Gray had two hits
apiece. Every starter reached base in the game and Woolwine and
Jason Jebbia also each stole a base.
Sal Diaz earned the win for the Leopards while
Grant Wheatley notched his seventh save of the season while
Matthew Jones (3-5) was tagged with the loss.
Doherty tossed the final 3.2 innings.
Teams will take the field again on Saturday
for a twin-bill. First pitch is slated for 11:00 a.m. on Anderson
Field.
