WHITTIER, Calif. - The
Whittier College softball team snapped its six-game skid and won
its first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
game on Saturday afternoon as it scored a combined 18 runs in two
games in two wins over Occidental.
The Poets won the first game 12-6 and the second game 6-1.
In Game 1 the Poets (6-6, 2-4 SCIAC) dug themselves in a hole as
they committed four errors in the first inning. The Tigers took
advantage of the poor fielding by the Poets and took an early 4-0
lead after one and a half innings.
The bottom of the second inning proved to be the difference as
the Whittier bats came alive to the tune of eight runs and seven
hits.
WC added three runs in the bottom of the third to take an 11-4
lead.
Oxy (0-6, 0-4 SCIAC) was able to stay within striking distance
as they added two more runs in the fourth inning but that was as
close as they would get. The Poets added one more insurance run in
the sixth en route to the six-run win.
Amanda Webster (3-5) went the distance in the
first game as she threw 7.0 innings, scattered nine hits, allowed
six runs (0 earned) and struck out two batters.
Occidental's Shanna Yackel picked up the loss as she went 5.0
innings, gave up 13 hits and allowed 11 runs (11 earned).
Molly Yriarte and Amanda Brown
each collected three RBI as they combined for three hits.
Mary Pacheco, Laura Duarte,
Amanda Carrasco and Yriarte all had multi-hit
games.
In Game 2 the Poets turned to Heather Dady who
tossed a complete game. Dady went 7.0 innings, allowed a mere three
hits and gave up one run (0 earned). With the win she improved to
2-1 on the season.
Brendan Thompson went 4-for-4 in the second
game with three RBI. For the day she batted 5-for-8.
The purple and gold trailed after two innings but quickly erased
the deficit by scoring at least one run in the final four innings.
Pacheco continued to hit the ball well as she went 3-for-3 with
two runs scored and two RBI in Game 2. She went 5-for-6 with four
runs scored and three RBI in the twin bill.
The Poets have a quick turn around as they host La Sierra
tomorrow, March 1, at Noon at Palmer Field.
