LOS ANGELES — Will Nahmens pitched solid in relief, and Charlie Caccamo and Walker Marks each drove in a pair of runs as the Occidental baseball team squeaked past Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 7-6 at Anderson Field on Friday in the first of a three-game series between the teams this weekend.
The Tigers continue their hot streak, improving to 8-2 overall and 6-1 in SCIAC play.
CMS remains winless, falling to 0-13 and 0-7.
Nahmens took over for Oxy starter Joseph Kling in the sixth, pitching 3.1 innings to finish the game and earn the victory. The only earned run charged to him was a solo home run by Nolan Anderson in the ninth that cut Oxy's lead to 7-6.
Nahmens, who got help from his defense to get out of a few tight spots, struck out the last batter he faced. In the eighth, with runners on first and second and one out, Nahmens got Michael Gose to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
Lots of his defensive help came from catcher Victor Munoz, who continues to shine behind the dish as an elite defender. Munoz threw out a runner trying to steal second in the fifth, picked off a runner at second base to end a threatening sixth and also made a tag at home plate on a wild pitch that put a CMS runner on his back.
Kling started out hot, striking out the first four batters he faced. He ran into trouble in the top of the third, surrendering three runs. He got two outs quickly and then a swinging bunt by Nicholas Lillie kept the inning alive. Mike Gose followed it with a single and then Trey Smith sent a high fastball to the opposite field, over the right-field wall.
The Tigers quickly tied the score in the bottom half of the third. With Brady Fuller on first,Johnathan Brooks singled to right field, but the ball went underneath the glove of Smith, sending Fuller across the plate and Brooks all the way to third. Brooks scored on the next at bat as Caccamo grounded out to second.
Oxy scored it's first run in the bottom of the first on a double steal that was botched by CMS. WithDevon DeRaad caught in a pickle running from first to second, Caccamo capitalized with a heads-up base running play, stealing third and then advancing home during the chaos.
Oxy took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Jonathan Wong brought in Jake Chambers with a sacrifice bunt and Marks drove in Wong with a single later in the inning.
CMS took advantage of an Oxy fielding error, getting one run back in the top of the fifth.
Christian Hoxie hit a two-out RBI-single off of Nahmens to tie the game at five in the sixth. DeRaad made a running catch in right field, with the go-ahead run on second, to end the inning.
Caccamo gave Oxy a 6-5 lead in the sixth with a bloop double to right that scored Wong.
Marks drove in Oxy's seventh run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Next Game: The Tigers and Stags play a doubleheader in Claremont on Saturday. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 11 a.m.