LA VERNE, Calif. (April 18, 2009) – At home on a gorgeous
Saturday afternoon the Tigers were unable to avoid another Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference sweep as they fell
8-0 and 6-3 to the University of La Verne on Anderson Field.
Sophomore second baseman Daniel Kelley
collected a team high four hits on the day while shortstop
Jason Jebbia came up with three hits in the
double-header, also drawing a pair of walks. Jebbia swiped two bags
in three attempts and Kelley was successful in his only stolen base
attempt.
In game one Occidental was unable to score as ULV starting
pitcher Tim Jolly tossed 7.0 inning striking out seven. Jebbia was
responsible for two of the three hits Jolly allowed, with
Dale Garrett also singling and stealing a pair of
bases, adding two walks in the game.
Oxy starter Brooks Belter was tagged for five
runs on eight hits while striking out a pair. Homeruns hurt the
Tigers as the Leopards connected for four long balls in the game.
Game two began with a promising look as Oxy jumped out to a 2-1
lead after two innings as Jebbia drove in Kevin
Ozaki, who reached with his first of two hits in the game.
In the second inning Richie Veihl bunted his way
on base and came around to score on Kelley's second hit of
the game as he finished with three.
That slim 2-1 lead turned into a 2-2 tie in the sixth when the
Leos strung together three consecutive hits off
Oxy starter Noel Banuelos (1-6) to begin the
inning. Jon-Michael Hattabaugh, whose RBI double knotted the game,
led off the eighth with a solo homerun to break the tied game and
knock Banuelos out of the game after 7.0 innings, in which he
allowed just four runs (three earned) on six hits with three
strikeouts. Ross Pomerantz came on in relief,
pitching the final 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on six hits.
Tyler Eyrich got the Tigers their third run of
the game in the ninth when he connected for his first collegiate
homerun, to right field.
La Verne (20-12) pushed their SCIAC win streak to nine games
while the Tigers fell to 11-23, 1-14 in SCIAC play.
Next Friday, April 24, Occidental will host Whittier College
(11-23, 5-10 SCIAC) for a single game beginning at 3:00 p.m.
