ORANGE, Calif. - The Whittier College softball
team had its six-game win streak snapped on Thursday evening as
Chapman University earned the double header sweep of the purple and
gold, 7-6 and 8-3, at El Camino Real Park.
The Poets (6-3) had held opponents without a run for the
previous 16 innings but surrendered three in Chapman's first at bat
of Game 1.
The three-run first by the Panthers (5-3) came after Whittier
scored two in the opening inning. Brenda Thompson
reached base on a one-out single and scored one batter later on an
RBI triple by Mary Pacheco
Pacheco was brought in on a single by Janae
Townsend.
The Poets put four on the board in the top of the third to take
a 6-3 lead but Chapman answered with a pair of runs to cut WC's
advantage to one run. Whittier's half of the third was highlighted
by a three-RBI triple off the bat of Morgan
Oliver.
The Panthers tied the game at six in the bottom of the fourth
and scored the winning run in the final inning. The Poets let the
lead off man aboard on an error by Townsend and saw the runner
advance to second on a wild pitch. Two singles later the drove in
the winning run.
Heather Dady started the game and went 4.0
innings. She allowed six runs on 10 hits but did not factor in the
decision. Erica Zamora threw the final 2.0 innings
and gave up one run on two hits with two walks and three
strikeouts.
The Poets managed only seven hits in Game 1 with two apiece
coming from Thompson and Oliver.
In the second game the Panthers started it the same way it did
the first; with three runs. CU added four in the fourth to take a
7-1 lead and tacked on the last bit of insurance in the sixth to
insure the win.
Whittier scored its first run in the third. Kellie
Canida reached on a single, advanced to second on a wild
pitch, and scored when Pacheco reached base by way of an error.
Canida finished the second game 3-for-4 with a run scored and an
RBI.
Whittier's second run came on an RBI-triple from Canida and the
third run was generated by back-to-back doubles from Townsend and
Amanda Carrasco.
Jessica Rosnack started Game 2 and lasted just
3.1 innings as she suffered her first loss. She gave up seven runs
on eight hits. Zamora struck out four in 2.2 innings of work where
she allowed one run on one hit.
The Poets return to the diamond on Saturday afternoon with a
double header in Claremont, Calif., against Pomona-Pitzer.
