LOS ANGELES – Trailing by a run in the ninth and down to just one out, Oxy's Alec Strain(Sacramento) — who had reached first after being hit by a pitch — tried to score from first on a Riley Smith (Bellevue, Wash.) double to left.
But as Strain approached the plate, he was gunned down on a relay throw from Pomona-Pitzer shortstop Sam Fox and the Occidental College baseball team dropped the first game of a three-game series with the Sagehens 2-1.
The loss drops Oxy (22-11, 12-9 SCIAC) to fifth place in the standings, tied with Chapman, and a game behind fourth-place La Verne (13-8 SCIAC) in the loss column.
Pitchers dominated the game as both staffs combined to allow just one earned run.
Oxy starter Joseph Kling (Kirksville, Mo.) gave up six hits and did not allow a walk in six solid innings. Freshman Thomas Lalli (Bountiful, Utah) finished the game, allowing just one hit in two innings pitched.
Jake Bruml tossed a complete game for the Sagehens (23-10, 16-6 SCIAC), scattering eight hits while striking out nine.
Oxy got on the board first. Scott Hong (Los Angeles) scored on Johnathan Brooks' (Huntington Beach) groundout to first after leading off the game with hit and being moved to third on a sacrifice bunt byLogan Allen (Atascadero).
But Pomona-Pitzer took the lead for good in the fourth when Bruml, who batted for himself, reached on an error by Hong to lead off the inning and Erik Munzer and E.J. Lopez promptly followed with consecutive doubles to put the Sagehens up 2-1.
The Tigers got a golden opportunity in the sixth when Hong stole third after a Logan Allen single to give the Tigers the tying run on third with just one out. However, Brooks laced a liner straight to Fox in the next at bat that doubled up Allen to end the inning.
Hong went 3 for 3 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Smith contributed three hits of his own, going 3 for 4.
The Tigers return home tomorrow to host the Sagehens for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. It will conclude this season's conference series play and all teams will play four round-robin games each next week.