LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Occidental broke a 0-0 sixth inning tie with an offensive explosion, scoring 10 runs, en route to a 16-1 game one victory before following up with a 5-4 win over the visiting Lewis & Clark College Pioneers on Anderson Field.

Sending 14 men to the plate in the sixth, Occidental pushed 10 runs across the plate on eight Occidental hits, coupled with a pair of Pioneers' errors. Leadoff man Logan Allen earned two bunt singles in the inning, scoring twice. Center fielder Casey Harms also took two trips around the bases, driving in a pair. Brenton Wunner connected for a two-RBI single and designated hitter Josh White as well as right fielder Stephen Hilliard each added an RBI single. Allen also drove a run home in the inning.

In the succeeding innings, Oxy scored two runs and four runs, in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively. White launched a two-run homerun, scoring Riley Smith who singled to center in the seventh.

Occidental again batted around in the eighth, with four more hits. Freshman Alec Strain shot a pinch hit double to right field and came around to score when classmate  John Ugai had a pinch hit single to center. Tyler Eyrich, who drew a pinch hit walk in the eighth, singled in two runs in the ninth for the Black and Orange.

The only Pios' run that scored came in the ninth inning, which ended when Strain fired a strike to the plate from right field where Dale Garrett tagged out LC's Jasper Dean for the final out of the game.

Allen was 4-for-6 with two runs and two RBIs in the game and Smith was 3-for-4 with two runs.

Cory Popham went 6.1 innings, striking out seven as he earned his first win of the spring. Jonathan Stavros took over, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings and Tyler Stiemel shut the door, recording the final two outs of the game.

In a much tighter second game, Oxy took an early 1-0 lead as Allen again led off with a bunt hit before swiping both second and third, coming in to score on a Hilliard double. Each team scored in the second inning. LC's Sam Holman hit a solo homerun to  knot the game, but the Tigers responded with one of their own in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by White, scoring Wunner.

Lewis & Clark added two in the sixth, to again take a 3-2 lead.

Wunner led off the seventh with a single and moved to second when Strain reached on an error, followed by a bunt single off the bat of White. Kevin Ozaki, who came off the bench in the fifth, singled in a run and Smith then connected for a sac fly. 

After throwing a solid 7.0 innings, scattering five hits with seven strike outs, Ross Pomerantz (1-0) handed the ball over to Brooks Belter who earned his second save of 2011. Belter threw 2.0 innings, striking out three.

Both Ozaki and Hilliard had two hits in the game.

Occidental (3-3)  and Lewis & Clark (1-2)  will conclude their four-game series tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 13, at 11:00 a.m. on Anderson Field.

Article by Tracy Maple, Sports Information Director