LOS ANGELES, Calif. – For the final time of 2011 and the last time in the careers of four seniors, the Occidental College baseball team suited up for a duel on the diamond. Hosting Pomona-Pitzer in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, the Occidental seniors left it all on the field as the pitching duo of Ross Pomerantz and Brooks Belter silenced the Sagehens' bats while Dale Garrett and Stephen Hilliard combined to go 4-for-9 with four RBIs and a pair of runs in a 12-3 victory at Anderson Field.
Pomerantz, who has been injured much of the second half of the season, laced up his cleats one more time and went 6.2 innings, surrendering just five hits while striking out six. Belter came in from the pen for one last time and worked the final 2.1 innings, striking out one while facing the minimum and lowering his ERA to 1.45 this spring.
Their senior counterparts led the squad at the plate, as the Tigers combined for 17 hits, giving the pitching duo all the run support they would need.
After Anthony Salsedo led off the game with a triple a pair of batters were hit by pitches to load the bases for Hilliard, who drew an RBI walk to knot things up.
The middle of the order struck again in the third when they put three runs on the board to take a 4-1 advantage, with Garrett's RBI double accounting for the ultimate winning run. Logan Allen, Pedro Aldape and Riley Smith each singled and scored with both Aldape and Smith stealing second. Smith and Chris Caldwell each drove in a run in the inning.
PP would come back with one run in the top of the fourth and another in the fifth.
In the Oxy half of the fifth, 10 Tigers stepped into the box and all but one reached. Hilliard led off with a double to right and moved up on a bunt single by Smith. After Caldwell drew a walk to load things up, Garrett connected for his second double of the game, the final hit of his collegiate career, driving in a pair and forcing Pomona-Pitzer to make their second pitching change of the game. Garrett would come around to score on another double, by Salsedo, down the left field line. Aldape would connect for a three-run homerun to cap off the seven-run fifth. Hilliard would also collect the final hit of his college career when he singled to center in his second at-bat of the inning.
For insurance sake, Oxy added one more run in the seventh when Allen's double drove in Van Fudge who doubled to kick off the frame.
Along with Garrett and Hilliard who each chipped in with two hits, both Salsedo and Fudge had three hit games while Allen, Aldape and Smith had a pair of hits apiece as well.
Every man in the starting line-up scored at least once and the trio of Salsedo, Aldape and Smith each crossed the plate twice.
Today the careers of four men came to a close. Belter, Garrett and Pomerantz donned the Black and Orange for four seasons. Their careers began as part of a team that earned a 6-3 victory over Whitman College back on Feb. 9, 2008. Pomerantz got his first start against Whitman the following day and Belter came in from the pen for his first appearance. Garrett waited a bit longer for his debut, but coincidentally enough it came as a defensive replacement at Pomona-Pitzer and today those careers conclude with a 12-3 win over the same SCIAC foe.
Occidental finishes with a 13-26 overall mark and a sixth place finish in the league standings at 9-19. The University of Redlands locked up the SCIAC Title with a 22-6 conference record.
Article by Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director
