No. 24 Pomona-Pitzer Colleges outlasted top-seeded No. 15 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges, 10-8, in the 2026 SCIAC Baseball Tournament final to punch their ticket to the NCAA Championship as the conference’s automatic qualifier.
CMS got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning but Pomona-Pitzer had a big response ready with a five-run top of the second. The Sagehens loaded the bases via two walks and a hit-by-pitch, then scored on an RBI walk drawn by
Peter Savas before
Cooper Berry smashed a grand slam.
Not to be outdone,
Alex Henderson hit a third two-run homer in just eight innings between the Stags’ two games on the day. The superstar first baseman – already well known for postseason hitting prowess after blasting 11 bombs in seven NCAA games last year – jacked a fourth long-ball in 10 innings on the day to level the score at 6-6 through four games.
With both teams light on arms by this point in the tournament, a total of 11 pitchers saw time on the mound while each team continued to chip away with a run in four consecutive frames before Pomona-Pitzer went ahead for good on a two-run single by
Sammy Lee in the top of the eighth inning. CMS was able to load the bases and nearly respond immediately but a double play ended the hosts’ hopes.
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