LOS ANGELES – Van Fudge drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Occidental an 8-7 comeback victory over visiting Whitworth in a non-conference baseball game on Sunday afternoon at Anderson Field.

The Pirates (2-2) dropped the finale of their four-game, season-opening trip to Southern California, despite the fact that they built an early 6-1 lead.  The Tigers (1-2) rallied for their first win of the season.

Whitworth did most of its offensive damage in the first three innings, scoring four in the second and two more in the third.  Nick Motsinger and Gerhard Muelheims had RBI singles in the second, before Tyler Pfeffer drove both home with a single through the right side.  Motsinger and Muelheims each added RBIs in the third for a 6-1 lead.

Spencer Ansett was strong on the mound for three innings, allowing only a solo home run to Riley Smith in the bottom of the first.  But two errors to start the fourth inning led to five runs for the Tigers.  Walter Marks had a two-run single, then Victor Munoz added a three-run homer to tie the game.

Relievers Taylor Isadore and Michael Renner combined to keep the Tigers off of the board through the next five innings.  Meanwhile, Occidental reliever Mitch Margolis was doing the same to Whitworth.  Neither team scored again until the top of the eighth, when Pfeffer doubled in the go-ahead run with two outs.

Whitworth helped Occidental out during the game-winning rally in the ninth with two errors to start the inning.  A walked loaded the bases with nobody out.  A failed fielders choice brought home the tying run.  Then after an intentional walk and a strikeout, Fudge drew the game-winning walk.

Corey Mack pitched the ninth and was credited with the loss on the mound for the Pirates, while Margolis picked up the win in relief for the Tigers.

Pfeffer finished the game 3-5 with three RBIs for Whitworth.

The Pirates return to action in two weeks with a four-game series at the College of Idaho on March 21-23.