The Pomona-Pitzer baseball team swept California Institute of Technology this past Saturday, moving their season record to 12-15. The Sagehens eked out a one-run win in extra innings in the first game before dismantling the Beavers 16-6 in the seven-inning finale of the doubleheader. Casey Hershfield PO ’17 got the win in relief in the first game, and starter Nicholas Radich PZ ’18 got the win in the second.
The Sagehens got off to a rocky start in the first game, surrendering three runs in the third inning, but slowly came back and eventually took the lead in the seventh. They were an inning away from winning but allowed a run by the Beavers to tie it up in the top of the ninth.
Things looked like they might take a turn for the worse when Cal Tech scored in their first time up in extras, but the Sagehens responded in walk-off fashion when they tallied tying and then winning runs in the bottom of the tenth. Duncan Skerrett PO ’18 was the hero with a single that drove in Tanner Nishioka PO ’17 and Cade Hulse PO ’18. It was an impressive performance from Skerrett.
With a gutsy performance to build off of, the Sagehens made short work of the Beavers in game two. They opened their scoring in the first inning with an eye-popping five runs. They added three more in the second, and it looked like they might run away with things. Caltech tried to put themselves back in the game with four runs in the fourth inning, but the Sagehens closed the door fully when they answered with three more runs.
The score was 11-5 after four innings, and it was becoming clear that P-P had clinched the win. They did not miss out on an opportunity to pad their stats, however, and added five more runs in the last two innings. The final run count of 16 was the team’s third highest on the season and the most against a SCIAC opponent.
Up next for the Sagehens is a rivalry series versus the CMS Stags. Both teams are trying to climb the SCIAC standings in time for the playoffs and will desperately be trying to win this series. They will face off in the first game of the series on Friday, April 7 at Alumni Field at 3 p.m.