LOS ANGELES — Jonathan Wong went 3 for 5, with three stolen bases and a key RBI-single to put Oxy in position to win.

But despite having opportunities to close out the game, the Occidental baseball team fell to a good Ithaca squad, 11-9 on Thursday, in a back-and-forth thriller that needed 12 innings to be decided.

Wong smashed a line-drive single to shortstop in the bottom of the eighth with the bases loaded, starting a three-run rally that put the Tigers up 8-5. Oxy catcher Victor Munoz followed it with a walk that brought in a run and then Brady Fuller, who went 3 for 6 with three RBIs, drove in the inning's third run with a slicing single down the left-field line. 

Ithaca rallied to even the score at eight with three runs in the top of the ninth. Oxy closer Scott Ericksen struggled with his control, getting behind in counts, and when he played catch-up, the Bombers were able to make good contact on fastballs in hitter's counts. 

In extra innings, Oxy's A.J. Libunao nearly sent the Tigers off with a victory. With the bases loaded and two outs in the 11th, the third baseman drilled a line drive back up the middle, but Bombers' pitcher Zach Dickstein made a quick-reaction catch to end the inning. 

The Bombers finally got some separation in the 12th. Stephen Yanchus hit an RBI-single, Ryan Dougherty walked with the bases loaded and Zach Cole hit a RBI-sacrifice fly, putting Ithaca up 11-8.

Jake Chambers hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the 12th, but the Tigers couldn't scrape together two more runs.

Oxy tied the game at 5-5 on a two-RBI double by Charlie Caccamo in the seventh. 

The Tigers had trailed up until that point, but managed to chip away at the Bombers' lead with runs in the second, fifth and sixth innings. 

Oxy starting pitcher Joseph Kling threw eight solid innings, giving up just three runs with four strikeouts.

Dickstein earned the win and Daniel Gowanlock was charged with the loss. 

The Tigers fall to 11-6 overall. Ithaca improves to 1-3 on the season.

Next Game: Oxy plays its third game in three days against Spalding on Friday at Anderson Field at 2 p.m.