Claremont, Calif. - The Pomona-Pitzer Softball team swept a doubleheader from Occidental (6-1, 8-2) on Saturday to inch closer to a SCIAC Tournament berth.

With the wins, Pomona-Pitzer improves to 18-12 overall and 11-5 in the SCIAC, putting it in excellent position for a postseason bid. Occidental falls to 4-22 and 2-16 in league play.

Freshman center fielder Leah Bleichner (Simi Valley, Calif. - pictured) keyed the win in the opening game by batting 4-for-4 with a three-run homer, and then went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI in the nightcap to go 7-for-9 on the day. Freshman pitcher Fiona Riley (Berkeley, Calif.) earned the win in the opener, and freshman pitcher Jessica Liu (Alamo, Calif.) earned her second collegiate win in the nightcap, one day after defeating No. 13 Redlands for her first win.

Occidental jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first game in the bottom of the first, but the Sagehens were able to surge in front with two run in the fourth, as Bleichner led off the inning with the single and came home on an error before Liu had an RBI single. Bleichner then broke the game open with a three-run homer in the top of the fifth to stretch the lead to 5-1.  

Caitlyn Hynes (Upland, Calif.) added an RBI double in the seventh to close out the scoring, as Riley finished off a complete-game three-hitter for her tenth win of the season.

The nightcap saw the Sagehens jump out to the early lead, as they scored three in the first and three in the fourth to take a 6-0 lead. Bleichner had an RBI double in the first inning to improve to 5-for-5 on the day, while freshman Emily Glass (Davis, Calif.) added an RBI double as well. Glass, who was 3-for-4 in the nigthcap, added an RBI single in the three-run fourth.

Senior shortstop Ari Roach (Pinole, Calif.), who was 3-for-4 in the nightcap, added a two-run double in the seventh to close out the scoring after the Tigers closed within 6-2.

In addition to tallying seven hits on the day, Bleichner also got her first collegiate pitching appearance as she threw the final three innings to get the save, allowing just one run.
 
The Sagehens will be back in action on Friday for a doubleheader at La Verne, beginning at 2 p.m., before returning home to face Whittier on Saturday at 12 noon.