ORANGE, Calif. — Occidental College (18-10, 6-6 SCIAC) secured split in Saturday's doubleheader against Chapman (14-13, 8-7 SCIAC) with a tense 14-12 victory over Chapman University in game one and a 5-3 loss in game two on Saturday at W.O. Hart Park.
Occidental's seven-run fifth inning proved crucial in the high-scoring matchup in game one. The Tigers jumped out to a strong start in the first inning against Chapman.
Benjamin Fitzgerald walked and later scored on
Griffen Rogers' double to right field.
Logan Rooney reached on an error, allowing Rogers to score, and a single from
Jackson Short brought in Rooney, putting Occidental ahead 3-0 after the first inning.
Rooney doubled and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt in the third inning. He scored on a wild pitch, extending Occidental's lead to 4-0 through three innings.
Evann Smith hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, adding another run for Occidental. Chapman responded with a run of its own, making the score 5-1 after four innings.
Occidental's offense exploded in the fifth inning.
Antonio Longobardi hit a two-RBI double, and Short followed with an RBI single. Additional scoring came from Smith's RBI single and a two-RBI single by Rooney, capping off a seven-run inning and giving Occidental a commanding 12-1 lead through five innings.
Chapman managed to score a run in the sixth inning, but Occidental maintained a 12-2 advantage.
In a dramatic seventh inning,
Tyler Kubo doubled in a run for Occidental, but Chapman rallied with an eight-run inning, highlighted by a two-run homer from Andrew Powers and a two-run shot by Nick Molina. Occidental led 13-10 after seven innings.
Occidental added a run in the eighth inning with Fitzgerald's sacrifice fly, while Chapman closed the gap with a two-run homer by Josh Nowlin. Occidental held a narrow 14-12 lead heading into the final inning.
Occidental's defense held firm in the ninth, securing a 14-12 victory over Chapman and evening the three-game series at 1-1.
Aidan Alfers pitched 6 2/3 innings for Occidental while striking out four batters and walking two, facing a total of 34 batters. Alfers threw 128 pitches, 82 of which were strikes. Despite conceding two home runs and three doubles, he managed to hold Chapman scoreless in four of the innings he pitched.
Smith led the team with a strong performance, hitting a home run and driving in two runs while also scoring twice. Rogers contributed with two doubles and two RBIs, adding two runs to the scoreboard. Fitzgerald scored twice and also recorded an RBI with a double, showcasing his ability to reach base multiple times. Rooney drove in two runs with his two hits, including a double, and added two runs to his tally.
After evening the series at 1-1 with a game one win, the Tigers fell to Chapman with a final score of 5–3 in the rubber match of the series.
Occidental took an early lead with two runs in the first inning, but Chapman responded with a three-run first inning and never relinquished the lead.
Occidental began the game with a strong offensive push in the first inning.
Thomas Munch singled, and after
Evann Smith walked,
Griffen Rogers and
Logan Rooney each hit singles, allowing Munch and Smith to score. At the end of the first inning, Chapman led 3–2.
In the second inning, Munch walked and was driven home by
Benjamin Fitzgerald's RBI single, tying the game at three. The score remained 3–3 after two innings.
Chapman regained the lead in the fourth inning when Lucas Perez hit a solo home run. Chapman led 4–3 after four innings.
In the seventh inning, Chapman extended its lead with an RBI single by Nick Molina, scoring Joey Capobianco. The score was 5–3 in favor of Chapman after seven innings.
Occidental was unable to score in the remaining innings, and the game concluded with Chapman securing a 5–3 victory over the Tigers.
Riley Holcomb pitched 6 1/3 innings for Occidental, allowing seven hits and five runs while striking out one batter and issuing five walks. Holcomb threw 102 pitches, with 63 finding the strike zone, and recorded a WHIP of 1.97.
Antonio Vazquez came in relief for 2/3 of an inning, conceding one hit and one walk, striking out one with a WHIP of 10.00.
William Myers and
Michael Myers combined for one inning without allowing a hit or a run, with
William Myers inducing two groundouts in his 2/3 inning of work.
Munch scored two runs while reaching base with a hit and a walk. Smith contributed one run and one hit, also drawing a walk. Rogers delivered two hits and successfully stole a base. Fitzgerald collected one hit and drove in a run while recording three assists in the field.
The Tigers have a record of 18-10 and are 66-5 in the SCIAC conference. The Panthers hold a record of 14-13 and are 8-7 in the SCIAC conference. OXy will be back in action next Friday when they travel to Redlands to take on the Bulldogs on Friday, April 10th at 3:00pm.
