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LOS ANGELES — The Occidental College baseball team started its SCIAC Championship defense on the right foot, sweeping Whittier in a three-game series over the weekend. The Tigers beat the Poets on Thursday and two more times on Sunday.

Game 1: Occidental 6, Whittier 4

Jack Brancheau went 2 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, and Eamon McNeil was 1 for 4 with a 2-run homer, leading the Tigers past the Poets in the first game.

Brancheau's double in the bottom of the second inning brought home Graham Pimm and Jared Baur, giving Oxy a 2-1 lead, and McNeil's shot came in the third, putting the Tigers up 4-1.

Whittier cut the lead to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the fourth, but the Tigers answered in the seventh to hold off the Poets.

Riley James earned the victory for Oxy, giving up three earned runs in seven innings of work.

Oxy's bullpen was solid too. Dean Abramson pitched a scoreless eighth and Matthew Geiger earned the save with a 1-2-3 ninth.

Game 2: Occidental 7, Whittier 1

Bryan Smith tore the cover off the ball, going 2 for 5 with a home run, a double and four RBIs, leading the Tigers to a relatively comfortable victory.

Michael Netzel went 3 for 4 with a double and three runs scored and Devon DeRaad went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored.

Nolan McCarthy earned the win, pitching five scoreless innings. Will Nahmens, Ian Li, Tom Butler and Michael Netzler all combined for just one run in four innings of relief work out of the Oxy bullpen.

The Tigers scored two runs in the first, four in the second and one more in the fourth.

Season Impact: The Tigers improve to 4-3 overall and 3-0 in SCIAC play.

Whittier falls to 2-5 and 0-3.

Next Game: The Tigers are back in action on Monday, playing Bates at Anderson Field at 1 p.m.