Photo by Daniel Addison
Photo by Daniel Addison

Stags Win Third in a Row, CMS Baseball Holds Off Whittier 6-4

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team held off a late charge from Whittier to secure its third consecutive win 6-4 on Friday at Arce Field.

The Stags improve to 12-7-1 overall and 5-5 in the SCIAC with a big conference win to move into fourth place alone in the conference and snap a four-way tie at the beginning of play today. Whittier falls to 2-5 in the conference and 10-10 overall with the loss and currently sits in last place within the SCIAC. The Poets have gone 7-3 over their last 10 games and were riding high after taking three-of-four at Pacific (Ore.) last weekend prior to today's loss. 

CMS improves to 11-3-1 at home this season and have won three in a row. The Stags have been swinging hot bats lately and got on the board in the first inning when Marco Castillo reached base on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded and Ryan Motter scored.

The Stags wasted little time adding to their lead in the bottom of the second when Truman Miller tripled to left-center field and Carson Bridges scored which was followed by a two-RBI single to left field by Zach Clarke extending the lead to 4-0 through two innings. 

Both teams got on the board in the fourth inning, the Poets scored two runs on five hits, led by Mason Blansett's two-RBI double to left field after Brandon Mulrooney led off the inning with a double and eventually scored along with Dane Goodmon on the two-bagger by Blansett cutting the Stags lead to 4-2 through three and a half innings. 

Motter finished 3-for-3 with three runs scored, one double, one home run, and one RBI falling a triple shy of the cycle. Clarke went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Castillo along with Miller each drove in one run help lift the Stags to victory. 

CMS tallied a run in the home half of the fourth when Motter doubled with one out in the frame and scored on a single to center by Clarke extending the Stags advantage to 5-2 through four complete. 

Justin Hull (W, 5-1) did not allow a hit until the fourth inning and kept the Poets off-balance for most of the game but in all, he surrendered four runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts to earn his fifth victory of the season, which matches his career high in wins from last season. 

CMS added one run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Motter drilled his first home run of the season and third homer of his career to extend the lead to 6-2. 

Hull allowed two runs on four hits in the top of the ninth and left the game with two runners on base but Danny Porras (S, 5) came in out of the bullpen to shut the door and earn his fifth save of the season stranding the tying runs and helping the Stags earn a hard-fought 6-4 victory. 

The Stags are back in action tomorrow at Whittier for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. CMS baseball returns home on April 5 to face Willamette for the opener of a three-game series beginning at 3 p.m.