The University of La Verne baseball team would have a last chance comeback thwarted by a ninth inning Pomona-Pitzer walk-off win in SCIAC Friday afternoon at Alumni Field in Claremont.
Pomona-Pitzer would strike first in the third after a throwing error allowed the Sagehens to bring in the go-ahead run. The combination of Tim Ralston and Jason Moralez would string together a pair of hits to bring even the contest at 1-1 in the top of the fifth. Both squads would go shot-for-shot in the next two frames with Pomona capitalizing on another La Verne error to score in the sixth and with the Leopards' Josh Surdo scoring on a fielder's choice to once again tie the ballgame.
The Sagehens would take a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth before giving way to a two out, two run top of the ninth by La Verne. After Ralston and Michael Stewart lined out, Senior Dylan Leong would enter to pinch hit eventually drawing a walk and advancing into scoring position on a Moralez single up the middle. Freshman centerfielder Nolan Henley would knock an RBI double to center field scoring Leong and pinch-runner Woody Reyes giving the Leopards a 4-3 leading heading into the final frame.
All seemed to point to a Leopard victory as Leopard reliever Brett Early quickly retired the inning's first two batters but Pomona's Nick Gentili would begin the two-out rally with a line drive single to right putting the tying run on first, making Coach Scott Winterburn call on right-hander Phil Schick. The Sagehens would single in Gentili and capitalize on yet another Leopard error putting the winning run on third. Pomona-Pitzer's EJ Lopez would then send a hard ground ball up the middle bringing in the game-winning run.
La Verne totaled five errors in the 5-4 loss, three of which accounted for Sagehen runs. Starter Kevin Knight went 6.2 innings giving up 1 earned run and nine hits. Schick suffered his first loss of the year. Ralston and Moralez were both 2 for 4 on the day.
The two squads will complete the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m. at Mazmanian Field in Walnut.
