LA VERNE, Calif. - The Whittier College
baseball team got early run support in both of its games on Sunday
afternoon but couldn't take advantage as the University of La Verne
completed the sweep of the Poets with a 9-4 and 7-2 win.
The double header was originally scheduled for Saturday
afternoon but was pushed back to Sunday due to inclement weather.
Whittier (1-12, 0-6 SCIAC) gave starting pitcher Mike
Rueda three runs in the first inning behind a two-RBI
double by Darby Weppner. Weppener's drive to left
center scored Cory Goodchild and Reed
Tuttle.
Andrew Vallejo brought in the final run of the
first on an RBI single to right field.
Rueda cruised through the early part of the game retiring the
first seven batters in a row. He allowed his first base runner with
one out in the third and held the Leopards scoreless through five
full innings.
The purple sox went up 4-0 in the third inning on a two-out RBI
single by Vallejo. His second single of the game scored
Chris Hylland.
Vallejo finished the first game 2-for-4. Weppner, Hylland and
Josh Carter collected the other three hits for
Whittier.
Rueda got into trouble in the home half of the sixth. He walked
the leadoff batter and allowed his first hit of the game in the
ensuing at bat. After La Verne generated a run on a sacrifice fly,
Rueda plunked a batter to put runners on first and second with one
out.
He gave way to Austin Nogueira who gave up a
three-run homerun to the first batter he faced.
The Leopards' bats came alive as they pushed five runs across
the plate on four hits to take a 5-4 lead through six. La Verne
added two runs in each the seventh and eighth innings and held the
Poets without a hit in the final three innings.
Rueda went 5.1 innings and allowed three runs on just one hit.
The WC bullpen went 2.2 innings and gave up six runs on seven hits.
In the second game the Poets again got early runs. Goodchild hit
a one-out, solo, homerun in his first plate appearance and
Tuttle scored on an RBI bunt by David Tucci.
Despite the early runs the lead was short lived. The Poets gave
back the runs in the bottom of the first and surrendered the lead
in the third.
La Verne added three runs of insurance in the fourth which
proved to be more than enough.
The Poets managed only four more hits after its two-run first.
Tuttle and Tucci each had two hits while Goodchild, Vallejo and
Jacob Storrer all had one hit.
Kevin Pigott started and lasted 4.0 innings. He
allowed seven runs (five earned) on 11 hits. Tyler
Bogart threw 1.2 innings of relief and didn't allow a run.
Weppner tossed the final 2.1 innings and held La Verne hitless.
The Poets return to action on Friday, March 5, as they host
Caltech at Memorial Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:30 pm.
