Ryan Martin '08 went 7-for-13 with three RBI
and five runs scored to lead Whittier College to two wins in a
three-game series with Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference rival University of Redlands on April 21 and
22. The Poets (16-21, 10-8) won both ends of a
doubleheader 4-1 and 5-2, respectively, at Memorial Field on April
21. Redlands (24-13, 10-8) won the series finale by a score
of 10-7 the next day.
In game one, Martin went 2-for-4 with a triple, an RBI and a
run scored. Bobby Wooldridge '08 and
Mike Benavente '09 each had an RBI.
Ty Crawford '07, Kody Seminara '08 and
Nick Taiariol '08 each scored a
run. Thomas Phelps '09 (6-3)
pitched a complete game to earn the victory. He allowed one
run on six hits and struck out six batters.
A triple and a sacrifice fly to lead off the game gave Redlands
the early lead in game one. The Poets answered back with a
lead-off triple by Martin and an RBI single from Wooldridge in the
bottom half of the inning to tie the score. Phelps took over
the game on the mound, allowing just four Bulldog hits after the
first inning. He retired eleven batters in a row at one point
in the game. The Poets got all the runs they would need in
the second inning, when a wild pitch brought home Taiariol and then
Martin's RBI single scored Seminara, who had been hit by a pitch
earlier in the inning. The Poets made the score 4-1 in the
bottom of the third when a bases loaded walk by Benavente brought
Crawford in to score.
The second leg of the doubleheader saw Martin lead the way at the
plate again. He went 3-for-4 with a home run (4), double, two
RBI and two runs scored. Blake Coddington
'09 went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
Robbie Smith '08 went 2-for-4 with a double and a
run scored. Benavente finished with an RBI-double and a run
scored and Wooldridge drove in a run. Blake
Luitwieler '08 (4-3) pitched the second complete game for
the Poets on the day. He allowed two runs on ten hits and
struck out four.
Once again, the Bulldogs got out of the gate early, using
three straight singles to score one run in the opening frame.
The Poets tied the game in the second inning with Wooldridge's RBI
single and then took the lead in the third thanks to Martin's solo
homer. Redlands cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the fifth,
but would not get any closer. The Poets put the game out of
reach with three runs in the bottom of the fifth after Taiariol was
hit by a pitch and then three straight RBI doubles from Benavente,
Martin and Wooldridge.
After a Friday rainstorm postponed play, the two teams made up the
final game of the series on Sunday, April 22. In this game,
Taiariol led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a two-run homer
(3). Matt Morgado '07 went 3-for-4 with a
two-run homer (3), two doubles, three RBI and a run scored.
He leads the team with 23 RBI this season and a .412 batting
average. Martin went 2-for-5 with two runs scored.
Justin Armijo '10 (4-5) got the start on the mound
and pitched four and two-thirds innings. He allowed seven
runs on ten hits and three walks.
The Poets were the first to get on the scoreboard in the final game
of the series. They scored twice in the top of the second
inning on Taiariol's two-run blast. A two-run double in the
bottom half of the inning for the Bulldogs tied the game. In
the third inning, the Poets earned a 5-2 lead with Morgado's
two-run shot and Crawford's RBI single. Redlands got one run
back in the bottom of the third, but pulled away with a big fifth
inning. The Bulldogs scored five runs in the inning to take
an 8-3 lead and added one more in the sixth for a four-run
cushion. The Poets cut the lead in half in the top of the
seventh with two runs, but that was as close as they would
get. Redlands added one more in the eighth to give them the
10-7 lead that would be the eventual final score.
The Poets are at home for the start of their final regular season
series against La Verne on April 27. Game one will be played
at 3pm, with games two and three to be played in La Verne, Calif.,
on April 28th at 11am.
