CLAREMONT — Even when they're in a slump, great players will find a way to help their team win.
That's just what senior captain Logan Allen (Atascadero) did to make sure the Occidental College baseball team beat Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 6-5 in extra innings at Arce Field in the first of a three-game series on Friday.
Allen, an All-West Region and All-SCIAC shortstop who came into the game hitting just .179, made two great defensive plays to prevent CMS from winning the game in the ninth, and then hit a 370-foot double to left that helped setup the A.J. Libunao's (Huntington Beach) game-winning single in the top of the 10th inning.
With one out and the winning run on second in the bottom of the ninth, Allen made a diving stop on a ball hit in the hole to his right, deflecting the slow-hit single just a few feet into the outfield — rather than all the way to left fielder Pedro Aldape (Sherman Oaks) — forcing CMS' Scott Witte to stop at third. Then with one out and the bases loaded, Allen initiated a 6-4-3 double play to get the Tigers out of the inning and into extras.
"We were actually playing for a double play if the ball was hit hard up the middle. If it was soft, we were going to charge it and try to make the play at the plate," Occidental coach Luke Wetmore said, adding that the preparation for the "1 percent play" paid off. "It's a play we've practice and our guys knew what to do."
In the top of the 10th, Allen was about four feet from a home run, but his shot to deep left bounced off the bottom of the wall, setting the table for Libunao, who singled to left to score Mitch Margolis (Calabasas) two batters later.
CMS threatened with runners on first and second and one out in the bottom half. But Chris Caldwell (Kirksville, Mo.) made a running catch at the foul line and Scott Hong (Los Angeles) got Scott Witte to fly out to center, ending a close game in Claremont and getting the Tigers (8-2, 2-2 SCIAC) back to .500 early in the conference season.
"We showed a lot of character picking up a win even though we didn't play our best," said Allen, who went 1 for 3 with three runs scored and two walks. He was on base four different times. "It felt good to finally help out a little bit."
CMS did the bulk of its damage in the fourth inning with some help from the Oxy pitching staff. Joseph Kling (Kirksville, Mo.) loaded the bases and left a 3-0 count with two outs before checking out of the game with an injury. Thomas Lalli (Bountiful, Utah) tried to control the damage, but his first pitch walked in a run and then he walked in another, giving the Stags a 4-2 lead, before he passed the ball to John Ugai (Durango, Colo.). Ugai got the Tigers out of the inning without increasing the deficit, and was nails for the next three innings. The junior middle reliever, who's been one of several solid relievers for the Tigers out of the bullpen, allowed just one runner in both the fifth and the sixth, and pitched a 1-2-3 seventh.
The Oxy bullpen has pitched 38.2 innings between 11 guys, giving up just eight earned runs so far this year.
After Oxy fell behind 4-2 and with Ugai holding CMS at four, Allen and the Tigers scrapped their way back.
Oxy manufactured a pair of runs to even the score at four in the sixth. Allen led off with a walk and then scored all the way from first on a single to right by Victor Munoz (La Verne). Allen took off on the pitch just as Munoz crushed a line drive right at where the second baseman would have been standing had he not have darted to cover second on the steal. Allen beat the throw to the plate by a split second and Munoz advanced to second.
The Tigers added their second run of the inning with more small-ball. Jacob Lee (Olympia, Wash.) bunted Munoz to third and then A.J. Libunao (Huntington Beach) drove him home on a ground out to short.
Libunao went 2 for 5 with two RBIs.
Oxy took a 5-4 lead in the eighth with Munoz and Allen the catalysts again. After reaching on an error, Allen stole second to get into scoring position for Munoz. The sophomore catcher hit another line drive to right, scoring Allen easily on the play.
But CMS quickly countered in the bottom half. Jack Witte led off the inning for the Stags with a solo home run off of David Feasler (Park City, Utah), tying the game at five. Feasler recovered nicely after he settled in and got Oxy out of the inning with just the one blemish.
Hong came into the game in the ninth, with the score tied at five, and threw 1.2 scoreless innings to earn the win. Brett Watanabe was charged with the loss for the Stags (2-9, 1-6 SCIAC).
Riley Smith (Bellevue, Wash.) finished the day 3 for 5 with three stolen bases and scored Oxy's first two runs. In the first, he hit an infield single, stole second and then crossed the plate on a single by Pedro Aldape (Sherman Oaks). In the third, Smith singled again, stole second and third and then scored on a wild pitch.
Johnathan Brooks (Huntington) went 2 for 5 in his first game back and the Tigers were at full strength with all of their projected starters in the lineup for the first time this year.
Oxy and CMS play two more at Anderson Field tomorrow. The first game is scheduled for 11 a.m.