CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier women's water polo team was limited to three goals Wednesday evening as Pomona-Pitzer defeated the Poets, 9-3, at the Haldeman Pool.

Both defenses played well in the first eight minutes as the lone goal came from Pomona-Pitzer's Annie Oxborough-Yankus at the 4:27 mark.

The Sagehens extended its lead to 3-0 with scoring strikes at 6:50 and 6:04, respectively, of the second half before the purple and gold got on the board.

Veronica Becerra scored with 3:35 left in the second stanza to trim the deficit to 3-1 but saw Pomona-Pitzer close the half with a pair of goals to make it 5-1 at the intermission.

The teams traded goals in the third quarter with the Sagehens pushing their lead to 6-1 at the 6:13 mark. Melissa Reynoso answered that goal with her lone goal of the day with 3:05 left in the quarter.

Pomona scored two straight to open the fourth to extend its lead to 8-2.

Katrina Thoreson cut the lead to five goals at 8-3 with a goal at the 3:28 mark but the Sagehens added one last bit of insurance en route to the six-goal win.

Mattie Winkler made six saves in the loss.

The combination of Reynoso and Sara Wolff won 3-for-4 sprints.

Whittier will return to action on Saturday afternoon as it travels to Pasadena to take on Caltech at 11 am.