Late Runs Push Sagehens Past Stags in Both Ends of Doubleheader

CLAREMONT, Calif. – On Saturday, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team dropped a pair of heart-breaking losses against Pomona-Pitzer by scores of 10-9 and 11-9. The Stags held the lead in both games, but the Sagehens put crooked numbers on the board in the late innings to come from behind in both games to complete the series sweep.

On the day, Chase Eller (CMC) and CJ Novogradac (CMC) led the offense for CMS. Eller went 6-9 on the day with three RBI, a home run, and a double while Novogradac was 4-8 with a pair of doubles, a home run, and four RBI.

Game One – Pomona-Pitzer defeats CMS 10-9

On Saturday morning, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team dropped a 10-9 game against the Sagehens to open a doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer. CJ Novogradac and Carson Bridges (CMC) both homered for the Stags, but the Sagehens hit three home runs in the game and scored seven runs between the sixth and seventh innings to take control of Game One. CMS scored two late runs, but they could not make up the deficit and fell by a 10-9 final.

The Stags got on the board in the top of the first thanks to three-straight hits to open the game. Ryan Motter (CMC) led off the game with a single and Henri Levenson followed with a single of his own to put runners on first and second. Trey Smith (CMC) then drove a double down the left field line to score Motter and Levenson to open up a 2-0 CMS lead in the top of the first.

Pomona-Pitzer countered with a run in the bottom of the inning and two-run homer from Bryce Rogan in the third to take the lead at 3-2.

Patrick Gavin (CMC) tied the game at 3-3 in the fourth with a double to the wall in left center that chased Eller home from first after he reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning.

After a scoreless bottom of the inning, the Stags took the lead with three runs in the top of the fifth. Motter scored on a wild pitch and CJ Novogradac doubled to right center to bring Smith and Levenson home.

Carson Bridges added an insurance run in the sixth with his first career home run, a shot over the right field wall that pushed the CMS lead to 7-3.

The Sagehens responded with a pair of home runs in the bottom of the inning. Brian Knapp hit a three-run shot and Jeremiah Quezada connected for a two-run homer. Both home runs came with two away in the frame and gave the Sagehens an 8-7 lead.

A Pomona-Pitzer two-run single through the left side of the infield in the seventh made it a 10-7 game. The Stags scored a run in the eighth on a Motter single to close the gap to two heading to the ninth.

With one out, Novogradac homered to center and cut the lead down to just one run, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the game and the Stags fell by a 10-9 final.

Game Two – Pomona-Pitzer defeats CMS 11-9

Much like Game One, CMS took a lead in the middle innings of Game Two, but was unable to hold on as the Sagehens scored late to comeback for the 11-9 victory. The Stags scored one run in the fourth on an Alex Clemens (CMC) single through the right side to break a 1-1 tie, before tacking on four runs in the top of the fifth. Henri Levenson (CMC), Chase Eller, and Patrick Gavin (CMC) each notched RBI doubles to plate the four CMS runs in the fifth and extend the Stags' lead to 6-1.

On the mound, Justin Hull (CMC) continued his dominance in SCIAC play with six strong innings for CMS. Hull allowed one run (earned) on four hits and two walks while striking out four. He was lifted prior to the seventh inning with the Stags leading 6-1. That lead did not last long as Pomona-Pitzer scored 10 runs on six hits and three errors to take an 11-6 lead at the end of the seventh.

CMS rallied with three runs in the top of the ninth on an Eller home run, a Kevin Nakahara (HMC) double, and Carson Bridges single, but they stranded a pair of runners and fell by a final score of 11-9.

After the sweep, CMS is 15-16 on the season and 6-9 in the SCIAC. They are currently tied with Whittier for seventh in the conference with series against Chapman, Whittier, and Cal Lutheran remaining on the schedule. The Stags will take the field on Friday at Chapman at 3:00 p.m.