LOS ANGELES — Occidental College (1-0) emerged victorious with a 7-5 win over Centenary College (0-1) on Friday afternoon at Anderson Field.
Evann Smith's three knocks and a big fly propelled the Tigers to an Opening Day victory.
Centenary mounted a late rally in the eighth inning, narrowing Occidental's lead with two runs. A walk followed by a wild pitch set the stage for a decisive single to left field, driving in a run and putting the pressure back on Occidental. However, the Tigers managed to contain the threat and maintain their advantage.
Occidental capitalized on early opportunities, with Smith's performance being pivotal. In the second inning, a series of errors by Centenary allowed the Tigers to score two unearned runs, turning the momentum. Smith added to the lead with a solo homer in the sixth and later set the stage for Short's RBI double in the fifth, which extended the lead further.
Despite Centenary's attempts to close the gap, Occidental's defense held strong, with a crucial double play erasing a late-game threat in the eighth. The home team secured the victory by maintaining composure in the final innings, avoiding any further runs from crossing the plate.
Aidan Alfers started and pitched 5 innings for Occidental, allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits, with 3 strikeouts and 2 walks. Alfers threw 81 pitches, 43 of which were strikes, and recorded a WHIP of 1.40 while earning the win.
Evan Landsman followed with 1 2/3 innings of relief, conceding only 1 hit and striking out 2, with a WHIP of 0.83.
Braden Hill made a brief appearance, facing one batter and recording an out on his only pitch.
Antonio Vazquez closed with 1 inning, giving up 1 hit and striking out 1, helping solidify the win.
Smith contributed significantly with three runs, three hits, including a home run, and drove in one run.
Griffen Rogers excelled on the mound, pitching one inning, striking out the side, and securing a save while also adding two hits and a run while playing right field for the first 8 innings of the game.
Thomas Munch added to the offense with one run scored and one hit. Short provided an extra-base hit with a double and drove in one run.
Occidental holds a 1-0 record following their victory over Centenary. The Gents stand at 0-1 after their recent game against the Tigers.
In their next games, Occidental will host Centenary for a twin split on Saturday, February 7th with game times of 11AM and 2:30PM.
