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LOS ANGELES — Nolan McCarthy was back to his dominant self, Jack Brancheau hit a bomb in the second inning and the Occidental baseball team got back on track with a 9-7 win over Pomona-Pitzer at Anderson Field on Friday.

Oxy's win over the Sagehens in the first of a three-game series between the teams this weekend, snaps a five-game losing streak and gets Oxy back to .500 in SCIAC. With plenty of baseball still in front of them, the Tigers are in good position to contend for a spot in the four-team SCIAC Postseason Tournament and more.

Brancheau, a senior center fielder from Scottsdale, Ariz., sent a three-run homer out of the park during a five-run second inning that set the tone for the game. Oxy later added four runs in the sixth with big doubles from Jake Fredrickson and Angelo Zorn.

Brancheau finished the day 2 for 4 with his sixth home run of the year, three RBIs and two runs scored. Zorn went 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs, Antonio Andrade went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles and RBIs, and Gus Patrick was 2 for 4 with a run scored, rounding out some of Oxy's big offensive performances.

Reid Gibbs, Oxy's senior second baseman who has been a hard out all season, extended his nearly season-long hitting streak to 20 games. He came into the contest leading the SCIAC in hitting in conference games with a .452 batting average.

McCarthy, Oxy's 6-foot-5 junior ace from Portland, Ore., pitched seven very solid innings to start the game, giving up just two earned runs in the seventh. When the Sagehens cut Oxy's lead to 9-6 with runners in scoring position in the ninth, McCarthy came back in to pitch from first base, shutting the door with three more outs. He finished the game with 10 strikeouts and two walks in eight innings pitched. 

McCarthy was leading the SCIAC with a 1.50 earned run average prior to the game.

Season Impact: Oxy improves to 17-9 and 5-5 in SCIAC..

Pomona-Pitzer falls to 14-10 and 4-9 in SCIAC.

Next Game: The Tiges and Sagehens are back in action on Saturday playing a doubleheader in Claremont.