Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier softball team rallied from 2-0 and 1-0 down to sweep Occidental College 5-2 and 3-1 Saturday afternoon at Palmer Field.

Game 1

The Tigers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top half of the first but the Poets rallied back to score runs in each of the next five innings powered by Denisse Martinez's solo shot in the fourth that put the Poets up 3-1.

But the bats just kept warming up for the Poets as Nikki Mendoza hit a solo shot in the top of the fifth followed by a solo shot by Janae Townsend who put the game out of reach in the bottom of the sixth helping the Poets go up 5-2 and a lead they would not relinquish.      

The Poets (23-11, 11-7 SCIAC) sent to the mound Heather Dady who pitched a complete game giving up two runs on three hits while striking out seven.

Dady moves her record to 7-2 on the season.        

Game 2

Occidental struck first in Game 2 going up 1-0 after the first but that's all the offense they would manage getting as Jessica Rosnack shut down the Tiger lineup throwing a complete game giving up one run on four hits while striking out eight.

Whittier's bats became silent in the second game of the doubleheader but were able to push a run across the plate in the third thanks to two stolen bases by Cindy Loza and a single by Ashley Perez which drove in the tying run.

The Poets were able to gather two more runs in the bottom half of the seventh as Martinez blasted a walk off two run homer to help claim victory for the Poets.  This was Martinez's third homerun in as many outings pushing her total to ten on the season. 

The Poets return to action as they host the University of La Verne Friday, April 15 with the first game of the doubleheader slated to start at 1 pm.