Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

LOS ANGELES – Occidental starting pitcher Cory Popham went 7.0 innings and allowed just one run as the Whittier baseball team suffered a 9-2 setback Friday afternoon at Anderson Field.

The Poets (16-20, 8-17 SCIAC) collected nine hits from just five different players. Andrew Vallejo, Alex Gast, Dan Gleiberman and Reed Tuttle all had two hits while Nick Amicone added one.

A leadoff double in the home half of the third started the scoring for Occidental. The Tigers moved Riley Smith to third on a sacrifice bunt and later scored him on a sacrifice fly.

Two more runs scored in Occidental's ensuing at bat, the first on a balk and the second on a sacrifice fly. The latter proved the game winner.

Whittier trimmed its deficit to 3-1 after Gleiberman drove in Taylor Fallon with a single to right field in the fifth frame but the Tigers responded with two more in the home half of the inning. Pedro Aldape blasted a two-run home run to put the Tigers in front 5-1.

The Poets surrendered one run in the seventh and three in the eighth before plating its final run in their last at bat. An error aided OXY's run in the seventh and a solo homerun to lead off the eighth started that rally.

Whittier scored its final run of the game off a solo homerun from Vallejo.

Keith Hoefel started and went 6.0 innings. He allowed five runs on six hits with three strike outs. Andrew Pigott went 2.0 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) with three strike outs.

With the win, Occidental evened the season series.

Whittier returns to action tomorrow afternoon with a 1 pm game against Cal Lutheran.