CLAREMONT, Calif. – Visiting Whitworth dropped both halves of a non-conference baseball doubleheader at 13th-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, the second one in extra innings. The Stags won the opener 12-9 and the nightcap 6-5 in ten innings to improve to 9-3. The Pirates dropped to 6-11.
The teams will complete the four-game series with a single contest on Sunday at 11:00 am.
Game 1 – CMS 12, Whitworth 9
The Stags scored four runs each in the fourth and sixth innings and took advantage of six Pirate errors to overcome a pair of two-run home runs from Pirate DH Reed Gunnett.
CMS scored three runs in the bottom of the first on only one hit, taking advantage of two Whitworth errors, two walks and a hit batter. Dillon Martin had the RBI single.
Gunnett's two-run home in the second got the Bucs on the scoreboard. Martin added an RBI double for the Stags in the bottom of the second for a 4-2 lead.
After Whitworth tied the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth when Junior Garcia scored on Gunnett's ground out, CMS plated four runs in the bottom half for an 8-4 lead. Jett Shue hit a three-run home run to cap the rally.
The Pirates got back within 8-7 in the top of the sixth when Gunnett drilled his second two-run shot of the game. The momentum didn't last long as the Stags scored four more in the bottom of the sixth. Shue drove in his fifth run of the game on a ground ball error and Cruz Wexler added a two-run single in the rally. Whitworth committed two errors in the inning.
Emerson Fleck's two-run single in the top of the ninth capped the scoring.
Gunnett finished 2 for 5 with five RBIs. Caleb Gray was 2 for 4 with two runs scored. For CMS, Martin went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Shue only had one hit but still drove in five runs.
Nathaniel Kurano (2-2) took the loss on the mound after allowing eight runs (five earned) on six hits, three walks and a hit batter. Ryan Boehm threw the final four frames and gave up four runs (one earned) on five hits with three strikeouts.
Dominic Rolla (2-1) earned the win for the Stags with five innings, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits with six strikeouts. Joshua Lewis threw the next 3.1 innings and Colin McNiven got the final two outs of the game.
Game 2 – CMS 6, Whitworth 5 (10 innings)
The Pirates tied the game 3-3 in the ninth and took a two-run lead in the top of the tenth before the Stags rallied for three in the bottom of the tenth to clinch a series victory.
Whitworth scored in the top of the first when Nate Gray Jr. singled to lead off the game, went to second on Caleb Gray's double and scored on Carson Coffield's sacrifice fly. CMS got two in the bottom half when Dillon Martin hit a two-run home run.
After CMS added another run in the third, Whitworth starting pitcher Dylan Huntsman settled down and began retiring the Stags in order.
The Pirates got a run back in the fifth when Gray Jr. again led off the inning with a single and eventually scored on Isaac Lee's two-out single.
The teams traded scoreless innings from that point until the ninth, when Gray Jr. singled with one out. One out later Caleb Gray singled to right field and Gray Jr. went to third. The throw to third base got away and Gray Jr. got up and just beat the throw home to tie the game.
Luke Stutesman struck out Wexler with the potential winning run on second base in the bottom of the ninth.
Two singles and an error allowed Whitworth to load the bases with one out in the top of the tenth. Fleck's tough ground ball to third allowed Coffield to score and Fleck to reach on a fielder's choice when Lee was out at third base. Kyle Memarian followed with a double that scored Dominic Giusti from second. Fleck tried to add a run, but was thrown out at the plate trying to score all the way from first base.
Max Pemberton got a pinch-hit home run with one out in the bottom of the tenth to get the Stags within 5-4. After consecutive walks, Stutesman got a strikeout. Following a wild pitch that moved up both runners, an intentional walk to Martin loaded the bases. Carter Bennett singled through the left side of the infield on an 0-2 count to drive in the tying and winning runs.
Nate Gray Jr. finished 3 for 5 with three runs scored. Caleb Gray was 3 for 4. Martin and Bennett each had two hits and two RBIs for CMS.
Huntsman allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 5.0 innings. He was on the hook for a tough-luck loss until the Bucs tied the game in the ninth. Rylan Blair followed Huntsman with three shutout innings of relief, allowing only one hit. Stutesman (2-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and three walks in 1.2 innings.
CMS starter Tegin Maloney allowed only two runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings. Bryant Smaaladen (2-1) went from losing pitcher to winner in the tenth after he finished up with five innings and allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits.
