CLAREMONT, Calif. (April 1, 2011) –Occidental College erased a three run deficit and snapped a six-game skid to earn a 9-8 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Arce Field yesterday. In a sloppy game, the teams combined for seven errors, 25 hits and 17 runs.
The Tigers took a quick 1-0 lead in the first, when Anthony Salsedo drove in Logan Allen, before CMS would plate four over the next two innings to lead 4-1.
In the next two frames, the Tigers' defense would keep the Stags off the board, while the offense picked up, scoring three runs in top of the sixth to knot things at 4-4. Kevin Ozaki and David Feasler each had an RBI in the sixth with John Ugai, Allen and Ozaki each scoring.
Dale Garrett led off the seventh with the first of four hits in the inning. After a pass ball allowed him to move up 90 feet, the Tigers' backstop advanced to third on a Chris Caldwell single, forcing the Stags to make a pitching change and bring in southpaw Steve Ferguson. Allen would reach on a fielders choice, driving in Garrett. Ozaki followed with his second RBI hit of the day and Salsedo then collected his second hit of the day, a bunt single. The junior outfielder quickly swiped second when the ball sailed into center field, advanced to third with Ozaki crossing the plate. and moved to third on a CMS error. A Feasler walk again put men on the corners. Salsedo stole home as CMS tried to back-pick Feasler at first for the fourth run of the inning.
CMS would charge back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, before tying the game at 8-8 after eight.
Ozaki came through again for the Black and Orange, leading off with his second hit of the day, coming around to score the ultimate winning run on Feasler's second hit of the afternoon.
Brooks Belter retired the Stags in the ninth to earn his first win of the spring. He threw 3.0 innings, walking one and striking out four. Ross Pomerantz went 5.1 innings in the no decision, giving up just one earned run while striking out five. For CMS Andor Kesselman was tagged with the loss after starter Alex Sunderland threw 6.0 innings.
Allen, Ozaki, Salsedo, Feasler and Caldwell had two hits apiece and Allen's were a pair of doubles, the only two extra base hits in the game for the Tigers. Salsedo and Feasler each stole a base.
Both teams had ample opportunities to score, leaving the bases loaded and with runners on second and third with no or one outs on multiple occasions, but each starting pitcher worked his way out of the respective jams.
Occidental (9-17, 5-10 SCIAC) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (15-12, 9-7) will conclude the weekend series Saturday with a double-header beginning at 11:00 a.m.
