THOUSAND OAKS — The Occidental baseball team was edged by Cal Lutheran in a pair of road games on Saturday.

The Tigers drop their SCIAC-Championship rematch series with the Kingsmen 2-1. Oxy won the first game on Friday, 12-6.

Oxy and Cal Lu split the 2016 SCIAC Championship last season.

Season Impact: After sweeping Whittier in its SCIAC-opening series, Oxy starts conference play 4-2. The Tigers are 6-5 overall.

Cal Lutheran goes to 5-4 and 3-3.

Both teams have been ranked in the top 25 so far this season.

Game 1: Cal Lutheran 12, Occidental 7

Devon DeRaad, a First Team All-American in 2016, went 1 for 4 with a three-run home run, and Jack Brancheau was 1 for 1 with a pair of runs scored and four walks.

Riley James started the game for the Tigers, taking the loss.

Michael Netzel was 2 for 4 with a run scored for Oxy. 

Nolan Watson, a key starting pitcher for the Tigers for the past couple of seasons, made his return to the mound in a relief effort, giving up just one earned run in four innings of work.

The Tigers cut a 8-2 lead to 8-7 with a five-run top of the fourth, but couldn't add any more runs as the Kingsmen answered and extended their lead with one run in the fifth and three in the eighth.

Game 2: Cal Lutheran 4, Occidental 0

Oxy had six hits, but couldn't push across a run in Game 2.

DeRaad and Netzel each went 1 for 3. Brancheau, Graham Pimm, Bryan Smith and Eamon McNeil each went 1 for 4.

Josh Cohen had a solid relief outing, pitching four scoreless innings, with four strikeouts.

Next Game: The Tigers are back in action for the first of a three-game series on Friday at 2:30 p.m.