Whittier College softball helped its chances of making the SCIAC Tournament by taking three out of four at home against Pomona-Pitzer and the University of Redlands on April 18 and 20.  They were also the last games at home for two four-year seniors, Deena Arenas and Sheryl Fukuda, and they contributed in big ways.

The Poets split in their doubleheader with Pomona, winning game one 7-3 and losing an eight inning thriller 5-4 in game two. 

Amanda Brown '09 led the way in the first game.  She went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.  Nicole Acevedo '09 went 3-for-3 with a double, one RBI and two runs scored.  Mary Pacheco '10 returned to the lineup after missing fifteen games and drove in a pair of runs.  Kellie Canida '11 drove in and scored a run.  Fukuda reached base twice with a single and a walk, and was credited with a sacrifice.

Heather Dady '11 pitched six innings and allowed three runs on seven hits.  Arenas came in to pitch a perfect inning in relief to preserve the win.

 In game two, Vicky Ovieda '09 went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and two RBI.  Nicole Acevedo and Molly Yriarte '11 each hit solo home runs.  Fukuda doubled and scored.

Nikole Gandara '09 got the start on the mound and pitched 7.2 innings in which she struck out allowed four runs on eight hits.  The ninth hit she gave up was a homer in the eighth inning that decided the game. Arenas held the Sagehens to just the one run in the eighth, retiring the only batter she faced with runners in scoring position.  Unfortunately, the Poets were unable to come back. 

They did bounce back two days later, as they swept both legs of their doubleheader with conference leading Redlands.  Whittier won both games by a narrow 4-3 margin.

After trailing 2-0 heading into the sixth inning, the Poet offense exploded for four runs in the first game.  It would be enough to hold off the Bulldogs, who threatened in the seventh, but only scored one run.  Dyan Acevedo '09 hit a two-run single and Fukuda went 2-for-4 with an RBI double.  Brown also drove in a run.

Arenas stymied the conference's top-ranked offense, allowing just one earned run and scattering seven hits to get the complete game win.  She struck out three Bulldogs in the process.

In the second game, Fukuda went 2-for-4 with her second career home run.  Pacheco went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI.  Amanda Carrasco '10 also hit a solo home run.  Dady was credited with the win after pitching 2.2 innings of relief and allowing no runs on just two hits.

The Poets have won 20+ games for the second straight season with a 21-13 overall record.  They are also tied for third in the conference with Pomona at 11-9.  Two more doubleheaders remain starting with second place Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on April  25 at 2:00pm.