LA VERNE — The race for the SCIAC postseason is heating up and the Occidental College baseball team is in the kitchen.
The Tigers split a doubleheader at La Verne on Saturday, taking the series 2-1, while maintaining a half-game edge over the Leopards for the fourth-and-final playoff spot in the SCIAC standings.
With one three-game series and four singles left to play, the Tigers are at 12-9.
La Verne is sitting at 11-9, but still has a rained out game against Caltech to make up.
Oxy faces Pomona-Pitzer (8-13 SCIAC) next weekend. La Verne has Cal Lutheran (15-6 SCIAC).
Redlands is still in the mix in sixth at 12-12.
Game 1: Occidental 6, La Verne 3
Mitch Margolis earned his six win of the season — fourth in SCIAC play — with an eight-inning gem, striking out six while only allowing two earned runs. His conference ERA is at 3.20 and he's struck out 42 batters, the second best total in the league.
Scott Ericksen came on to pitch the ninth, earning his second save in two days.
Charlie Caccamo did the damage offensively for Oxy, going 1 for 3 with 3 RBIs and a run scored.
Oxy's big four-run fourth inning was the difference. Trailing 3-2, Devon DeRaad singled to left, A.J. Libunao legged out an infield single to third and La Verne catcher Joe Winterburn misplayed a sacrifice bunt by Alec Strain to load the bases for the Tigers. La Verne pitcher Zach Quinonoes then hit Caccamo, allowing the tying run to cross the plate. A batter later, Libunao scored on a passed ball and then Victor Munoz capped off the inning with a double to deep right center that emptied the bases to give Oxy the final lead of the game at 6-3.
Margolis then sat down the Leopards in order in the next three innings and Ericksen struck out the side in the ninth for his second save in two days, sealing the win for Oxy.
Alec Strain made a highlight-reel diving catch in the 3rd to snuff out what could've been a huge inning for La Verne. After a leadoff out, Nolan Henley drew a walk and Jared Hovsepian singled to left, and both got into scoring position on a wild pitch. George Hanna then hit a looping liner to the gap in right center that would've scored the runners and put Hanna himself in scoring position. However, Strain sped over and made a diving grab at full stretch to limit the damage to just one sacrifice fly run.
White was 2-for-3 in the game for La Verne.
Van Fudge finished 2 for 5 for Oxy.
Game 2: La Verne 6, Occidental 0
With the series win already in hand, Mark Jebbia made sure La Verne avoided the sweep, striking out nine batters in 8.1 innings of work on his way to a dominating victory.
Oxy did record seven hits. Munoz was 2 for 3 and Fudge, DeRaad, Ericksen, Caccamo and Chris Straineach had one.
Tigers' freshman starter Nolan Watson couldn't match his previous game's performance, checking out after 4.1 innings with four earned runs against him. In his last outing, Watson gave up just three hits and no runs in a complete-game effort.
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