LOS ANGELES — Two teams without a SCIAC victory came to play at Bell Field on Friday. Both the Occidental Tigers and the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens left with their first conference win. The Tigers dropped the first game of the doubleheader, 7-0, but rallied past the Sagehens in dramatic fashion to take Game 2, 7-6. Outfielder Jacqueline Shimamoto had a productive day at the plate going 3 for 6 in the two games with a home run and first baseman Morgan Giusti went 4 for 4 with 2 RBI in Game 2.

The Tigers return to action on Saturday at Cal Lutheran.

Game 1: Pomona-Pitzer 7, Occidental 0

After a tight five innings, the Sagehens used a big sixth inning, plating six, to pull away from the Tigers en route to a 7-0 victory.

Both pitchers dominated the early portion of the opening game with the Sagehens scoring the only run through the first five innings on a wild pitch.

Pomona-Pitzer's starter Bianca Cockrell remained perfect through the first 3 innings. She tallied six strikeouts and allowed only four hits in a complete game.

Occidental's Ali Goldberg responded with an impressive performance of her own through the first five innings, before being removed for Angelica Preciado in the sixth. Early on, Goldberg routinely found her way out of trouble, stranding two in the first and the fifth. But the sixth proved too much, as the Tigers needed three pitchers to escape the inning.

At the plate, the Tigers could not muster the offense needed, despite having two good opportunities to break through while the game was close. In the bottom of the fourth, second baseman Mariah Montgomery ended the perfect game with a walk and center fielder Shimamoto subsequently broke up the no-hitter with a single and advanced to second on the throw. But the Sagehens nabbed Montgomery when she tried to steal a run on a passed ball and Cockrell got out of the jam.

In the bottom of the fifth, first baseman Morgan Giusti belted a one-out opposite field double, but pinch runner Tiareh Cruz was also left on third.

Sagehens center fielder Ashley Morello and third baseman Paige Oliver each had two hits and one RBI.

Shimamoto went 2 for 3 for the Tigers.

Game 2: Pomona-Pitzer 6, Occidental 5

The Tigers scratched out two runs in the bottom of the seventh, sealing a come-from-behind victory when center fielder Alex Battest crossed the plate for the winning run on a wild pitch.

Shortstop Jerika Barron got things going with a one-out double in the seventh and scored the tying run on a Battest double.

But the comeback truly started in the bottom of the fifth.

Trailing 6-1, the Tigers staged a two-out rally, highlighted by a two-RBI Giusti double, which brought the score to 6-5. 

During the Tigers comeback, shortstop Jerrika Barron had a RBI walk and center fielder Battest added a RBI single before Giusti's double.

Shimamoto also continued her strong day at the plate for the Tigers in the second tilt, connecting on a deep drive to right center to even the game at 1. The homer answered Lauren Boden's RBI single in the first inning.

Again, each pitcher kept the opposing lineup at bay early in the game.

Pham was solid through four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth. She allowed 6 runs on 8 hits in 4.1 innings.

Sagehens starter Eden Griffin followed a similar trajectory to Pham. Other than Shimamoto's homer, she shut the Tigers down through the first four innings, before allowing the four runs in the fifth and losing the lead in the seventh. She composed a line of  6.2 innings , nine hits and seven runs with four strikeouts.

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