Claremont, Calif. - Kevin Jordan broke a 7-7 tie with an RBI single in the seventh and scored the eventual winning run as the Pomona-Pitzer Baseball team took the first game of a doubleheader from Whitworth 9-8 on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Field. 

Whitworth bounced back to win the nightcap 10-2 and come away with a split. Both teams now have identical 1-2 records on the young season after dropping their opening games on Friday (Pomona-Pitzer to Puget Sound, Whitworth to Cal Lutheran).

The score was tied 7-7 going into the bottom of the seventh after Whitworth tied the score with four runs in the sixth. Senior shortstop Sam Fox led off with a double off the wall in center and moved up to third on a groundout. Jordan then lined a single to left center to break the tie, and after advancing on a balk, he came home on a two-out RBI single from sophomore center fielder Tanner Nishioka (pictured: Jordan rounds third with the eventual game-winning run). 

Freshman pitcher Peyton Holm, who had come on in relief in the sixth, worked a perfect 1-2-3 eighth inning to keep momemtum on Pomona-Pitzer's side. After the Sagehens were unable to score in the bottom of the eighth, Joshua Davis hit a one-out solo homer in the ninth to cut the lead to 9-8. Holm, though, regrouped to retire the next two batters on a routine flyout and grounder to third to pick up his first collegiate win. 

The Sagehens used a six-run third inning to temporarily take control of the opener. Senior second baseman Kenny Rabin and junior left fielder Kevin Brice had RBI singles to give Pomona-Pitzer a 3-2 lead and Nishioka capped it off with a bases loaded walk.  Nishioka finished 2-for-4 with three RBI for the Sagehens, while Fox was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.  Holm allowed three hits over four innings of work to get the win. 

The nightcap saw Whitworth get four RBI from Davis, two on a two-run homer, and a grand slam from Matthew Nelson as they took control in the middle innings. Freshman catcher Rob Simsiman had an RBI single in his first college at-bat for the Sagehens and finished with two RBI, while Fox and senior designated hitter Jake Bruml were each 2-for-4. 

Pomona-Pitzer closes out its season-opening four-game homestand tomorrow with a single game against Puget Sound, beginning at 12 noon.