Smith's Homer Lifts Stags to Doubleheader Split

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 6-4 victory in Game Two of a doubleheader at Whittier on Saturday afternoon. With the game tied 4-4 in the top of the ninth, Trey Smith (CMC) launched a two-run homer that proved to be the difference in the final game of the series. CMS dropped Game One on Saturday morning by a 9-2 final.

Game Two - CMS defeats Whittier 6-4

Whittier opened Game Two with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first, but CMS quickly responded with three runs of their own in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead. The Stags scored their runs on an RBI double by Nick DeGallier (CMC) and a two-run, two-out single by Henri Levenson (CMC).

The Poets countered back with a single run in the bottom of the third before a Ryan Motter (CMC) triple in the fourth made it a 4-3 game in favor of the Stags. The game remained a one-run lead for CMS until Andrew Lamar scampered home on a passed ball in the seventh to tie the game at 4-4.

After a scoreless eighth, Trey Smith homered to drive home pinch runner Andrew Kim (CMC) and give the Stags a 6-4 lead in the top of the ninth. A one-two-three inning by Danny Porras (CMC) in the bottom of the ninth gave the Stags the victory.

Patrick Gavin recorded his first career four-hit game with a 4-5 effort at the dish. Gavin doubled to lead off the second and came around to score on a Nick DeGallier double later in the inning. With a 3-4 effort in game two, Henri Levenson extended his hitting streak to five games. The right fielder has now hit safely in nine of the last 10 games for CMS. Levenson drove home a pair of runs with a two-out single up the middle in the bottom of the second.

Trey Smith was 2-5 at the dish and came through in the clutch with the two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give the Stags the win. Smith's heroics gave the win to Danny Porras on the mound. Porras tossed two scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit with four strikeouts. Porras came on in relief of Justin Hull (CMC) in the eighth, after the sophomore right hander went seven innings. Hull allowed four runs (three earned), eight hits, and three walks while striking out five batters.

Game One - Whittier defeats CMS 9-2

The Whittier Poets scored eight runs in the first four innings of Game One to put the Stags in an early hole. CMS was unable to overcome the deficit and fell by a final score of 9-2 in Game One of the double-dip at Whittier. Henri Levenson (CMC) provided the offense for the Stags in the game with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth inning.

Levenson's homer immediately followed a double by Ryan Motter to right center. The Stags totaled 11 hits in the game, but struggled to find the big hit. CMS left 10 runners on base including four in scoring position.

After the Saturday split the Stags are 16-21 overall and 7-14 in the SCIAC. CMS will complete the 2018 season with a three-game series against Cal Lutheran next weekend. The Stags will play on the road on Friday at 3:00 p.m. before hosting the defending National Champions in a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 11:00 a.m.