CMS Baseball Drops Doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team dropped both games of a doubleheader at Sixth Street Rival Pomona-Pitzer by the scores of 5-3 and 13-5 on Saturday at Alumni Field. 

The Stags fall to 15-12-1 overall and 8-10 in conference play with the two losses. Pomona-Pitzer climbs to 17-15 overall and 7-15 in SCIAC play with the series victory over the Stags. CMS baseball found itself down early in both contests at Pomona-Pitzer after the Sagehens scored four runs in the fourth inning of Game 1 and the Stags couldn't rebound after allowing nine runs in the bottom of the fifth in Game 2.

The Stags entered the day in fifth place in the SCIAC and looked to keep pace with Occidental who sits in the final qualifying spot for the tournament. Despite the two losses today, CMS remains in fifth place in the conference and 3.0 games back of Oxy because of the Tigers losing both games at La Verne.

Game 1 

Hunter Hennigh broke open the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning for the Sagehens and Jeremy Jess launched a two-run home run to cap the scoring in the inning and give the home side a 4-0 lead through three innings. 

CMS answered back cutting the lead to 4-3 in the seventh. Ryan Motter walked with the bases loaded scoring Marco Castillo to put the Stags on the board. Zach Clarke reached on a fielder's choice retiring Motter at second but scoring Sean Emery. Patrick Gavin singled to center field to pull the Stags within one run, 4-3 through seven innings. 

Pomona-Pitzer added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Nolan McCafferty singled into right field and Jack Damelio scored to put the Sagehens in front 5-3. 

Kevin Nakahara singled with one out in the ninth inning but was left on base as two fly outs retired the side and ended the game with a 5-3 final score. 

Game 2 

 The Sagehens opened the scoring in the first inning. McCafferty doubled to right-center to put Pomona-Pitzer in front 1-0 through one frame.

CMS recorded two hits through the first three innings but then tied the ballgame with a single to left by Evan Kelly scoring Castillo and evened the game 1-1. Pomona-Pitzer battled back in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI single by Seth Stone to break the tie and give the Sagehens a one-run lead, 2-1. 

Gavin once again helped the Stags offensively, coming through with an RBI single into left field in the top of the fifth to tie the game 2-2. That tie would not last long once again as the Sagehens scored six unanswered runs and grabbed a commanding 8-2 lead. 

The Stags scored two runs in the top of the seventh while trailing 11-2 on another single by Gavin plating both Clarke and Nakahara and then in the eighth Clarke grounded into a double-play and another run scored for CMS to cut the deficit to 11-5. 

That would be as close as CMS would get as it fell 13-5 in Game 2 and dropped both ends of the doubleheader. 

Nakahara recorded one hit in both ends of the twin-bill to extend his hitting streak to three games. Clarke finished the day 3-for-10 combined with one run scored, one double and one RBI. Gavin recorded six hits in nine at-bats with four RBI combined. Castillo went 4-for-7 with two runs scored, and Miller extended his hitting streak to three games with three hits in eight at-bats combined for the doubleheader. 

CMS baseball is back in action on Fri., Apr. 26 at Caltech for a single game that is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. The Stags return to Bill Arce Field on Apr. 27 to host a doubleheader against Caltech with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.