Pomona-Pitzer Protects Bragging Rights: Comes From Behind To Beat CMS
By Joe Gill
Staff Writer

Powered by multiple ninth inning comebacks, the Pomona-Pitzer baseball team won two games and tied a third in their three-game series with CMS last weekend. Living up to the cross-campus rivalry, two of these games were extra-inning thrillers, while the other was a come-from-behind victory. These games put the Sagehens at 18-7 overall, with a current second-place SCIAC record of 8-3.

In Friday's game at CMS's Arce field, Jase Turner '05 knocked an opposite field homerun in the second inning to give Pomona-Pitzer a single-run lead. The Stags responded with a four-run charge, highlighted by an RBI double from CMS catcher Chad Sakumoto. Down by three runs in the eighth inning, slugger Jose Cortez '03 slammed a clutch solo homerun to reduce the deficit to just two runs.

The Stags almost put the game out of reach in the bottom of the eighth. With two outs and a runner on third, CMS hit a routine ground ball to the shortstop. Although the throw to first was in the dirt, it appeared to be on time. When the umpire called the Stag runner safe and thereby allowed the runner at third to score, however, the numerous Pomona-Pitzer fans exploded in outrage, along with head coach Frank Pericolosi. After a heated exchange between Pericolosi and the home-plate umpire, however, the superseding umpire reversed the call to end the inning and save a critical run.

The Sagehens replied with a ninth inning rally. With the bases loaded, Sammy Whitehead '05 hit a potential double play grounder; the resulting throw to first, however, was completely mis-thrown, allowing the hustling Marc Mason '06 to score the tying run from second base. After Josh Cardwell '04 provided perfect relief, neither team scored any runs in the tenth or eleventh innings. At this point the umpires called the game due to darkness. Ending in a 4-4 tie, the game will only be completed if the SCIAC title depends on its outcome.

In Saturday's doubleheader, Pomona-Pitzer won both games by the scores of 8-7 and 7-5. The first contest was perhaps the most exciting of either team's season. For eight and a half innings the Sagehens couldn't get much going, carrying a three run deficit into the bottom of the ninth. CMS closer Wes Battle promptly walked Cortez, allowing the following batter Brad Carmody '03 to slam a two-run blast to left field. With a score of 6-5 and two outs, Jonas Swyer '04 delivered on a 1-2 count by the pitch over the right field fence, sending the game to extra innings.

In the top of the tenth, the Stags responded with a run off of reliever Jeff Lamb '04. Once again, however, the Sagehens executed at the right time. Following a single by Felipe Aguilar '05, Cortez cracked a tying RBI double to right centerfield.

In the top of the eleventh, Cardwell sent the Stags back onto the playing field without scoring any runs. Turner then put his mark on the series by crushing a remarkable game-winning homerun to left field, bringing on the afternoon match.

The afternoon game resembled the first two in that the Stags once again jumped out to another early lead. By the fifth inning, CMS lead 5-1, fueled by a homerun by Dan Artiano. Cortez answered with his fourteenth base-clearing shot of the year, generating three RBIs and closing the gap to 5-4.

In the next inning Tyler Burr '05 followed Cortez's example with a tying solo homer. Pomona-Pitzer continued their offensive charge with RBIs by Turner and Rob Ruiz '03 in the seventh to put the Sagehens up 7-5. Nathaniel Miller '05 then stepped up with three big innings of perfect relief to give Pomona-Pitzer campus bragging rights.

The coaching staff was pleased with how the team dealt with last week's tough losses to Cal State Hayward. "Good teams never quit. We rebounded very well, and were able to iron out our mistakes from the Hayward series," commented assistant coach Nick Bulaich, "The CMS-PP rivalry brings out the best in our team."

The players were equally as happy. Reflected Alex Smith '03, "To the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens, nothing means more than beating the Stags."

Today Pomona-Pitzer travels to Pasadena for an afternoon match against Cal-Tech, and will host the subsequent double-header on Saturday. In the closing weeks of the season, the Sagehens face SCIAC foes Redlands and Occidental. With the conference title up for grabs, Pomona-Pitzer will have to continue their strong play in order to secure their National playoff bid.