LOS ANGELES — Tyler Eyrich (Stevenson Ranch) had his best outing of the season, the bats came alive and a slumping Occidental College baseball team got back into the win column for the first time since March 10.

Oxy (15-12, 10-6 SCIAC), which was stuck in the midst of a six-game skid, totaled 12 hits and Eryich pitched a shutout to beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 7-0 in the first game of three with the Stags (12-16, 7-9 SCIAC) this weekend.

"That was Tiger baseball," Occidental College baseball coach Luke Wetmore said. "Very clean and few free passes. It's the kind of baseball that got us to the top of the conference a couple weeks ago and it's good to see us playing like that again."

The series continues tomorrow with a doubleheader in Claremont.

Eyrich, Oxy's ace and Friday starter, struck out six and gave up seven hits in nine scoreless innings pitched, improving to 5-3 overall and 3-3 in SCIAC play.

"He's a fierce competitor, a great pitcher and an even better teammate," Wetmore said. 

The Tigers scored a run in each of the first two innings, then four in the seventh and one in the eighth to break the game open.

Pedro Aldape (Sherman Oaks), who entered the day leading the SCIAC in RBIs, drove in Scott Hong (Los Angeles) on a line-drive single through the right side on a hit and run in the top of the first inning.

Aldape finished 4 for 5 with a run scored and two RBIs.

In the second, Johnathan Brooks (Huntington Beach) bounced a single through the infield to lead off the bottom of the second, advanced to second on a sacrifice by A.J. Libunao (Huntington Beach), moved over to third on a single by Kevin Ozaki (Los Angeles) before finally scoring on a single by Dan Kelley (Kirkland, Wash.).

Brooks broke the game open for Oxy in the seventh with a two-RBI single.

Brooks finished 2 for 4, with two RBIs.

Oxy's Logan Allen (Atascadero) was 2 for 4 with two runs and a pair of stolen bases.

Eyrich took over from there, foiling several CMS opportunities to score.

The Stags had a pair of runners on in the top of the second. Michael Erb singled and Scott Witte doubled, but Eyrich pitched out of a jam to keep CMS off of the scoreboard.

CMS had a similar chance to cut into the lead in the seventh when Witte led off of the with his second double of the game. Witte moved to third on a sac bunt, but Eyrich got Dustin Green and Sam Katz to pop up in consecutive at bats to end the inning.

Witte finished 2 for 3 with two doubles.

The Stags' threatened again in the eighth. But with runners on first and second, Eyrich struck out Michael Erb.

CMS starter David Ulrich, who came into the game 2-0 is his career against Oxy, gave up six earned runs in a 6.2-inning losing effort.

Longtime Oxy broadcaster Craig Dunkin hits the road with the Tigers tomorrow to broadcast the doubleheader in Claremont. The link to his audio can be found here.