Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team was unable to bounce back to take their second series sweep of the season over the University of Redlands as late inning heroics again cost the Poets an opportunity to come away with a win.
The Poets now drop to 12-13, 6-9 SCIAC, while Redlands improves to 13-11, 7-8 SCIAC.
Game 1 (L, 3-2)
Senior Taylor Fallon again pitched a spectacular game for the third time this season but was tagged with his second loss of the season as he took a 2-0 lead into the ninth but gave up three runs including a homerun that put Redlands in front.
Fallon held the Bulldog bats quiet all game going a complete game giving up three runs on eight hits to go with four strikeouts but due to his minor setback in the ninth his record now drops to 2-2.
The Poets jumped all over starting Bulldog pitcher Dippel who went 7.1 innings giving up two runs on five hits with both runs coming in the fifth. Josh Genzuk started the inning off with a walk and then advanced to second behind an Austin Straus single. He then scored the first run of the contest behind a Tyler Bogart single. Bogart then stole second and got into scoring position and on the ensuing batter Alex Mitchell flied out to deep right driving in Straus, but Bogart tried to tag up on the play and was thrown out at third stopping the Poet rally.
Fallon tried to complete the game but with two outs in the ninth Redlands put together a rally that was started with a Lively double to left center. The next batter then squeezed a single through the right side that drove in Lively and on the next plate appearance, Smith drilled one to right center that put the Bulldogs on top for the first time in the game.
In the Poets half of the inning they were unable to get anything going as Smith came in to shut out the side preserving the one run victory.
The Purple & Gold was led by Bogart who finished 2-3 with an RBI.
Game 2 (L, 5-1)
The Bulldogs jumped all over Poet starter Curtis Martin who was making his first start of the season. Martin went 6.1 innings giving up five runs on six hits, while his counterpart Byrd went the distance giving up one run on six hits to go with three strikeouts.
Redlands added runs in the first three innings and never looked back adding two in the first and one in the second and third. With the score at 4-0 after three the Poets put together a rally in the seventh behind back to back singles from Andrew Vallejo and Corey Jensen but with a Nick Amicone ground ball double play the Purple & Gold were turned away.
Finally in the eighth the Poets managed a run and got on the scoreboard after a James Stafford single and an A. Mitchell walk, Richard Rios reached on a fielder's choice that drove in Stafford cutting the bulldog lead to four. But this would be the only late rally the Poets would muster as they were sat down in order in the ninth allowing Redlands to come away with the four run victory.
Whittier continues with SCIAC play as they return to the diamond next weekend as they take on La Verne in a three game series beginning on Friday, March 30 at 7:30pm before hosting them for a twin bill the following day on the 31st with games slated for 11am and 2:30pm.
