ANTHEM, Ariz. -Austin Straus and Darby Weppner combined for five hits and recorded the final nine outs on the mound to lead the Whittier College men's baseball team to its first win of the season at the Arizona Desert Classic on Thursday afternoon.

The Poets tied the game with a run in the ninth inning and pushed the game winning runs across the plate in the top of the 11th en route to the 11-9 win over Whitman.

After being held to 16 hits in the first three games of the season the bats came alive to the tune of 15 base knocks. Weppner led the offensive explosion with a 3-for-6 afternoon while Straus, Andrew Vallejo, Chris Hylland and David Tucci all recorded multi hit games.

Trailing 7-2 after three innings the Poets pushed two runs across the plate in the fourth inning and added a three spot on four hits in the sixth frame to cut the Whitman lead to 8-7.

The teams traded runs in the top of the seventh and the bottom of the eighth before Whittier tied the game in the top half of the ninth.

Vallejo started the ninth inning rally as he reached on a hit by pitch with one out. He stole second during the ensuing at bat and scored on an RBI single by Hylland. The Poets had the bases loaded with two outs but left the trio stranded.

Weppner allowed just one hit in the ninth inning and pitched a perfect 10th to put him in line for the win. The offensive aided Weppner as Jake Storrer's RBI triple plated the winning run and Reed Tuttle's sacrifice fly gave the purple and gold a one-run insurance.

Straus made his college debut on the hill and allowed just two hits and no runs to pick up the save.

Whittier continued play tomorrow morning as it faces Linfield at 10 am.