A doubleheader between Pomona-Pitzer and La Verne resulted in a split as the Leopards opened with a 6-1 victory followed by a 15-4 triumph by the Sagehens in SCIAC baseball action Saturday afternoon at Mazmanian Field in Walnut.
In the opener, Tim Ralston got the Leopards on the board in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run single to center, scoring both Nick Bergara and Josh Surdo for a 2-0 lead. Michael Stewart followed with a run-scoring single to plate George Hanna from third, pushing the La Verne lead to 3-0.
La Verne padded its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third when George Hanna led off with a single and advanced to third on a Sagehen error, scoring eventually on a sacrifice fly from Ralston.
In the fifth, the Sagehens scored their lone run on a EJ Lopez RBI double to drive in Eric Munzer to slice the La Verne lead to 4-1.
The Leopards however would extend their advantage with a run in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Jason Moralez smacked a run scoring single to plate David Finneran. An inning later, Mason Stoltenberg singled, advanced to second on a walk, and came in to score on an RBI single from Stewart to give the Leopards a 6-1 lead.
La Verne starter Sean Beckman held the Sagehens scoreless in the final two frames to post his first complete-game victory of his Leopard career. Beckman allowed six hits while striking out six batters.
The second game provided a much different outcome as Pomona-Pitzer was bolstered by a six-run fourth inning to grab a 9-0 lead en route to victory.
Pomona-Pitzer (19-7, 12-6 SCIAC) went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning and added a pair of runs in the third on a two-run double from EJ Lopez for a 3-0 Sagehen advantage.
In the fourth, the Sagehens erupted for six runs on four hits to seize a commanding 9-0 lead. Nick Gentili hit a two-run double while both Jake Bruml and Erik Munzer each doubled in a run. Pomona-Pitzer also added two more runs on a Leopard wild pitch and throwing error.
La Verne posted a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single from Cody Hazel, but the Hens continued their assault in the fifth as a two-run double from Munzer highlighted a three-run frame to stretch their lead to 12-2 on their way to an 11-run victory.
Munzer went 3-6 with 4 RBI for the game while Gentili was 3-4 with a homer and 3 RBI to lead the Sagehen attack. George Hanna posted the lone multi-hit game for the Leos, finishing 2-5 at the plate with a run batted in.
The Leopards (15-9, 9-6 SCIAC) resume conference action next weekend as they take on Whittier College on Friday in the first of a three-game series in Whittier. Start time is 2:30 pm.
