REDLANDS, Calif. – Playing for the first
time in nearly two weeks the Whittier College softball team showed
signs of rust as Redlands picked up the regular season sweep of the
Poets with a pair of wins on Friday afternoon at the Field of
Dreams.
In the first game of the twin bill the Poets came out swinging
as Kellie Canida led off the game with a solo
homerun to right center to give WC an early 1-0 lead. Redlands
retired the next two batters but a two-out walk prolonged the
inning.
Senior Amanda Carrasco took advantage of the
opportunity and blasted a two-run homerun to right field to score
Molly Yriarte.
The Bulldogs (26-10) answered in the home half of the first with
a three-spot of their own. An infield single was followed by an RBI
double to trim Whittier's lead to 3-1. Redlands kept the
inning going with a single up the middle that scored a run and it
eventually tied the game on a dropped third strike that brought in
a runner from third.
The purple and gold bats managed only one more hit the rest of
the afternoon. Mary Pacheco singled in the top of
the sixth and it wasn't enough to overcome a combined seven
runs Redlands scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
The Bulldogs prevailed by a final count of 10-3.
Heather Dady started the game and went 4.0
innings. She was tagged with the loss behind an eight-hit, nine-run
(six earned), outing. She struck out one batter and walked a pair
of Bulldogs.
Erica Zamora threw the final 2.0 innings. She
gave up one run on three hits.
The Poets (18-15, 9-9 SCIAC) again got off to quick start in the
night cap as they plated the first run of the game in the top of
the first. Molly Yriarte drove in Brenda
Thompson with a sacrifice fly to put the purple and gold
up 1-0.
Redlands responded with two runs in the first, three runs in the
second, seven in the third and three in the fourth.
The Poets managed to push a run across in the second on an
RBI-single by Canida to tie the score at two. However, the offense
the Bulldogs generated was too much for the Poets. Redlands rolled
to the 15-2 win.
The Poets will have a quick turnaround as they host Cal Lutheran
at Palmer Field at 12 and 2 pm tomorrow afternoon.
