Grand Slam Triggers Tigers, Oxy Splits with Whittier

WHITTIER, Calif. (April 25, 2009) – Kieran Doherty homered in his second consecutive game, this time with a grand slam in game one of a twin bill at Whittier College. Although the Tigers fell 7-6 in the opener, they used the momentum supplied by the senior utility man coupled with a complete game from Noel Banuelos to earn a 7-3 victory in the rubber game of the weekend series.

Down 2-0 entering the third inning, Richie Veihl led off with a single before scoring the first Tigers’ run of the game following a sequence of Poets’ miscues. With one out leadoff man Kevin Ozaki drew a walk before Daniel Kelley singled and Jason Jebbia was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Doherty who with one swing of the bat cleared the bags and put the Tigers ahead 5-2.

Whittier came back with a run in the bottom of the fourth and Oxy answered with one of their own in the sixth when Anthony Salsedo scored on a Nick Saraceni sacrifice bunt to make it 6-3.

Occidental starter Brooks Belter struck out four and scattered seven hits over 5.0 innings before giving way to Doherty. After retiring the side in order in the sixth, Doherty got knocked around in the seventh, allowing two runs as the Poets cut the deficit o 6-5. Ross Pomerantz (1-5) took over on the hill with the bases loaded and no outs and got out of the inning unscathed. In the eight inning it was a different story as WC freshman Austin Straus stroked a two-run single to give the Poets a 7-6 victory as Oxy was unable to score in the top of the ninth.

The Tigers regrouped between games and came out firing on all cylinders, never trailing as they earned a 7-3 game two victory.

Salsedo drew a leadoff walk and Kelley doubled down the right field line to set up a two-RBI single to left off the bat of Glenn Gray. The Tigers added runs in each inning between the third and sixth. Saraceni scored one, driving in another. Jebbia tripled down the right field line, plating Kelley for the second time of the game. Kelley, who was 3-for-3, also drove in Salsedo who doubled to kick-start a two-out rally.

Whittier (12-25, 6-12 SCIAC) put together three hits in the fifth to score a pair of runs, but Banuelos promptly forced the next two batters to pop out, ending the inning. The only other run that the Poets would produce came in the ninth when left fielder Anthony Cappelletti doubled to lead it off before stealing third and scoring the final WC run of the game.

Both Jebbia and Steve Schaffer had multi-hit games in the opener while Saraceni, Salsedo and Kelley picked up multiple hits apiece in game two. 

Banuelos (2-6) went all 9.0 innings, striking out three, scattering six hits and allowing just three runs.

The Tigers will return to the friendly confines of Anderson Field for the final home game of the 2009 season when they host the Caltech Beavers for a single game beginning at 3:00 p.m. Seniors will be recognized prior to first pitch.