LA VERNE, Calif. – Pomona-Pitzer held on to defeat Whitworth 10-9 in an elimination contest at the La Verne Regional of the NCAA Division III baseball playoffs on Saturday morning at Ben Hines Field.
JC Ng hit three home runs and drove in eight runs as the 15th-ranked Sagehens (31-16) continue in the regional. The Pirates (29-17) saw their season come to an end.
Whitworth got on the board first in the top of the third inning when Kyle Memarian led off with a single and stole second base. He eventually scored on Carson Coffield's ground out to shortstop.
Then Ng took over, hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the third and another two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth to lift Pomona-Pitzer to a 5-1 lead.
The Pirates' offense finally came alive in the top of the sixth. After Spencer Shipman reached on an error with one out, Brock Molenda doubled home Shipman for the Bucs' second run. Aidan Morrison was hit by a pitch before Kevin Corder delivered an RBI single. With two outs Memarian doubled to right field to score Morrison. Ty Komoda added a two-run single to give Whitworth its first lead of the tournament at 6-5.
The lead lasted only until Ng came to bat again in the bottom of the sixth. He drilled a three-run shot to right center to put the Sagehens back ahead 8-6.
The Pirates never gave up, using a pair of two out rallies to tie the game. In the seventh Molenda singled with two outs, moved to second on a passed ball then scored on Morrison's single. In the eighth Caleb Gray doubled with two outs and scored on Coffield's single through the left side of the infield to retie the game.
Ng delivered one more time in the bottom of the eighth, doubling home a run before Jack Gold added a sacrifice fly to put the Sagehens up by two runs.
Whitworth had more two-out magic in the ninth. With two away and Corder on second and Austin Paul at first, Memarian hit another double that scored Corder. The Pirates elected not to send Paul home. Komoda was struck out to end the game.
Ng finished 4 for 5 with three runs scored. Memarian led the Bucs at the plate, going 4 for 6 with two RBIs and two runs.
Dylan Huntsman started on the mound for the Pirates and allowed four runs on six hits in four innings. Quentin O'Connor followed and gave up three runs on two hits and two hit batters in 1.2 innings. Seth Mahler (2-4) threw the final 2.1 innings and suffered the loss thanks to three runs (one earned) on four hits.
Ethan Collins started for Pomona-Pitzer and the Pirates struck him for six runs (two earned) on eight hits in six innings. Wade Lawson (4-1) got the win with two innings of relief (two runs on four hits) before Eamon Woods (one run, one hit) survived a shaky ninth for his third save.
