Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – Mickala Gonzales and Denisse Martinez each hit two homeruns, Nikki Mendoza totaled an afternoon-high five hits and the Whittier softball team picked up a doubleheader sweep of Cal Lutheran, 7-2, 7-5, Saturday afternoon at Palmer Field.

Martinez started the hit parade for the Poets with a one-out, solo, homerun in the second inning of Game 1. She sparked a two-run inning that was capped with a Janae Townsend RBI-single to centerfield.

Whittier's 2-0 lead was short lived as the Regals answered with two runs in the top of the third.

After back-to-back scoreless innings by the Poets, Gonzales blasted a two-run homerun to center field to put Whittier ahead for good. In her next at bat in the following inning, Gonzales hit her second round-tripper of the afternoon. Her second homerun was the third and final run of the sixth frame.

Cindy Loza led off the inning with a double and scored one batter later on an RBI single by Mendoza. Whittier played small-ball to score its next run as Brenda Thompson squeezed home Mendoza.

Heather Dady got the start and last 4.2 innings. She allowed five hits and two unearned runs with one strikeout. Courtney DeLano earned her sixth win of the season in the circle by pitching a perfect 2.1 innings.

The long ball continued in the second game for Whittier as Martinez and Townsend led off the second and fourth innings, respectively, with solo homeruns.

Cal Lutheran tied the score at 3-3 in the sixth but Whittier exploded for four runs in the home half of the inning which proved the difference.

Mendoza drove in the first run of the inning with a single to center field and Thompson followed suit with a two-RBI double down the right field line. Mendoza scored one batter later on an RBI-groundout off the bat of Ashley Perez.

The Regals made things interesting in their final at bat but left the tying run on first base.

Jessica Rosnack threw all seven innings for her fourth complete game of the season. She allowed five runs on seven hits with eight strike outs.

Whittier totaled 19 hits in the two wins as it pushed its season record to 13-5 and 5-5 in conference play.

The Poets will return to action on Wednesday, March 16, as they host NYU-Poly at 1 and 3 pm.