Sanders Hits Two Homers as CMS Baseball Takes Series Opener from Pomona-Pitzer

LA MIRADA, Calif. - Julian Sanders was 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps baseball team defeated Pomona-Pitzer 11-6 in the first of a three-game series on Friday afternoon at Biola.

With the win, CMS improves to 9-4 overall and moves to 3-1 in the SCIAC, while Pomona-Pitzer slips to 7-5 and 1-2 in league play with the loss. 

CMS also saved its top two pitchers in its rotation, Jarrett Korson an Henry Connell, who threw extended innings on Sunday against Chapman after Friday and Saturday's games were rained out. Pomona-Pitzer threw its No. 1 starter, Jake Hilton, but the Stags were able to score seven runs off him in three-plus innings to take the series opener. 

Sanders got things started in the bottom of the first inning with a two-out, two-run shot over the center field wall, scoring Jack Potter, who walked and stole second. CMS then added three more runs in the bottom of the second as Potter went the other way for an RBI double, Nick Wilson had a sacrifice fly, and Sanders had a single into shallow right for his third RBI of the day. 

Pomona-Pitzer was able to get three runs back in the third on a JC Ng three-run homer to close the lead to 5-3, but CMS came back with two runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer from Tyler Shaw, chasing Hilton from the game and stretching the lead back to 7-3. 

The Sagehens again closed to two runs at 7-5 in the top of the fifth on a two-run single from Isaac Kim, but CMS was able to get single runs in the fifth and seventh to close to 9-5. 

After Pomona-Pitzer got one run in the top of the eighth, Sanders finished things with his second homer of the day in the bottom half, clearing the left field fence with a towering shot to make the final score 11-6. It was his eighth home run already this season in 13 games, as well as his 14th extra-base hit, including five doubles and a triple, as he raised his slugging percentage to an even 1.000 on the year.  

CMS used four pitchers on the day, with Aaron Herst getting the start and going three innings, turning over the game with the lead to the bullpen. Andrew Blackett threw the next two innings to get the win, while Hamilton Finefrock retired all six batters he faced in the sixth and seventh. Lucas Welch finished off the final two innings, striking out three. 

William DeForest (2-for-4) and Derek Seneker (2-for-5) each had multi-hit games, while Potter scored three runs and had two stolen bases. 

The two teams will finish their series tomorrow with a doubleheader at Pomona-Pitzer.