WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College softball team needed little time to pick up a pair of non-conference wins on Sunday afternoon as it won both games in five innings over La Sierra University, 8-0 and 10-2, at Palmer Field.

The Poets (8-6, 2-4 SCIAC) are back over .500 for the season for the first time since February 15.

Kellie Canida and Mary Pacheco delivered for the purple and gold as they combined to score seven runs and knock in five runs on seven hits in the twin bill.

Candia led off Game 1 with a solo homerun to right field and added a single to her stat line in the next inning. She finished the first game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

In Game 2 Candia went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI.

Pacheco shinned in Game 2 with a 2-for-2 effort at the plate. She knocked in one run and scored twice with a pair of doubles. In Game 1 she went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Nikole Gandara (2-0) earned her second win of the season as she allowed one hit in five innings of work in the first game.

Heather Dady (3-1) picked up her second win in as many days as she scattered three hits and allowed two runs (0 earned) in 5.0 inning of work.

The Poets return to action on Saturday, March 7, as they play host to Chapman University at Noon and 2 p.m.