CLAREMONT, Calif.  Whitman's baseball team picked up its first win of the season Saturday afternoon, pounding out early runs in the opening innings for an eventual 6-2 victory over host Claremont-McKenna-Scripps Colleges ar Arce Field. The win earned the Blues a split on their opening day as the Stags stole away a 10-inning, 7-6 victory in the late-morning opener, plating two in the bottom of the 10th to rally from a run down.

The results leave both teams at 1-1 entering Sunday's doubleheader to close the non-conference series.

Whitman jumped on CMS starter Louie Brandon with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning of Game 2. Joseph Zimmer's double to center field pushed home Brett Williams who'd led the game off with a walk. Two batters later Lucas Thrun lifted a single into left field that brought Zimmer, running on contact with two outs, all the way home from his perch at second.

The two-run lead grew by one in the top of the second with Anthony Lim's two-out single to right-center field that brought in Jasper Crusberg who'd earned his way on base with a walk.

Three more runs in the top of the seventh gave the Blues a six-run bulge that easily stood up to Claremont's last-inning rally in the bottom half of the inning that only dented the lead by two.

Whitman starter Eric Ma (1-0), in his first collegiate game, earned the win going 6.0 innings while allowing just two hits and four walks with one strikeout to keep the Stags scoreless.

The opener Saturday held much more drama than the nightcap as Whitman battled back from 2-0 and 4-1 deficits to eventually take a 5-4 lead in the top of the eighth. Claremont would score a tying run in the bottom of the ninth but the Blues jumped back up by a run  when Brett Williams reached safely on a fielder's choice that brought home Thrun from third.

The Whitman rallies would fall shy of the win, however, as CMS used a walk, a sacrifice bunt, two singles and an error to push two runs home for the extra-inning walk-off win. Whitman starting pitcher Nick Johnson surrendered four earned runs off of eight hits but was absolved of the decision after departing following his six innings of work on the mound.

For the day Lim was 5-for-8 with a walk, scored a run and collected a pair of RBIs. Williams scored three times and added a pair of RBIs with his 4-for-7 outing, while Crusberg scored four times after doubling and walking twice in a three-hit afternoon. Thrun also collected a trio of hits Saturday, and scored twice while chipping in with a pair of RBIs.

Sunday's opening game of the twinbill is slated for a 9 a.m. start.