REDLANDS, Calif. (March 6, 2010) – After a 4-2 loss at
home on Friday afternoon, the Occidental College Tigers traveled to
the University of Redlands where a 12-5 final in game one was
followed by another 4-2 loss against a strong Bulldogs' team
at The Yard on a cool, rainy Saturday afternoon in Southern
California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
On Friday afternoon the teams were scoreless through three when
the Bulldogs pushed a pair of their four unearned runs across the
plate. Starting hurler Cory Popham was tagged with
the loss, but threw a complete game, scattering seven hits over
nine innings. UR added runs in the fifth and seventh.
Oxy got on the board in the fifth when Anthony
Salsedo drew a leadoff walk, scoring on a sacrifice fly
off the bat of Tyler Eyrich.
Occidental got another run in the ninth by way of a leadoff homerun
to center from shortstop Jason Jebbia.
Saturday, on the road, things were ugly early for the Tigers who
allowed eight runs in the first three innings of game one of the
day. In the top of the fifth Casey Harms led off
with a double and scored after Brent Wunner and
Logan Allen connected for back-to-back singles,
with Allen driving in Harms.
After UR scored three more in the bottom of the
fifth, Jebbia connected for his second long ball
of the weekend with a solo shot to right to start the sixth.
Eyrich, who tossed 6.2 innings of relief, retired the side in order
in both the sixth and seventh.
Occidental then came back with three runs in the top of the
eighth as Andrew Millian drew a pinch-hit walk
followed by a single by Jebbia and back-to-back RBI doubles from
Pedro Aldape and Salsedo, who also pinch hit for
the Black and Orange. Designated hitter Glenn Gray
then lofted a sac fly to score the final run of the game for Oxy.
Redlands (12-2, 10-2 SCIAC) added an insurance run in the eighth
to close out the 12-5 win over the Tigers.
The final game of the series was another close battle, but again
UR got out on top early with a run in the first. Jebbia was hit by
a pitch in the fourth and promptly stole second base before scoring
amidst a collision at the plate on a single from Eyrich. The only
other Oxy run of the game came on Aldape's first collegiate
homerun.
Stephen Hilliard went 5.1 innings, striking out
a pair before handing the ball over to Ross
Pomerantz who closed out the final 2.2 innings, striking
out three.
Occidental (7-9, 4-5 SCIAC) will host the University of La Verne
(6-8, 4-5) on Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. on Anderson Field.
Article by: Tracy Maple, Sports Information
Director
