LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Pedro Aldape and Chris Caldwell each homered to left field propelling the Occidental College baseball team to a 9-2 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the visiting Whittier College Poets at Anderson Field this afternoon.

Riley Smith doubled to lead off the third inning and came in to score on a Logan Allen sacrifice fly to right for the first run of the afternoon on either side.

The Tigers would push across a pair in each of the next two frames with Aldape and Alec Strain connecting for back-to-back singles with Aldape scoring after stealing second. Strain crossed the plate when Dale Garrett lifted a sac fly to right for the ultimate winning run of the game.

Whittier got on the board in the top of the fifth to cut their deficit to 3-1 behind a walk, stolen base and a pair of two-out singles before Cory Popham recorded the final out of the inning on a strikeout, his third of the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth after Allen singled and stole second Aldape hit a two-run homerun to push the Oxy lead to 5-1.

The offense continued in the seventh when the Black and Orange manufactured another run with Kevin Ozaki doubling and scoring on a Whittier error.

Not satisfied, the Tigers tagged on three more runs in the eighth, sending eight men to the plate. Caldwell led off with the homerun of his collegiate career. Smith singled to complete a 3-for-3 day at the plate and Anthony Salsedo was hit by a pitch. Allen drove in Smith before Salsedo scored on a wild pitch to round out the scoring for the home squad.

With two down in the ninth, Whittier's leadoff man and SCIAC Athlete of the Week last week Andrew Vallejo homered to right center field for the Poets' final run of the game. David Feasler would go on to strike out the final batter of the game, his second K of the inning.

Popham (3-5) earned the win after scattering eight hits and striking out five. Mitch Margolis pitched a 1-2-3 eighth.

Occidental (12-24, 8-17) travel to the University of La Verne tomorrow to play a single game on Ben Hines Field beginning at 1:00 p.m.

Article by Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director