Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

OAKLAND, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team opened up their spring break trip with two losses to the Hawks of Holy Names University dropping 5-1 and 4-2 decisions.

Whittier now drops back to .500 to 12-12, while Holy Names improves to 14-11.

Oakland has been plagued with rain over the past week and head coach Shelley Whitaker was hesitant her squad would get the games in but in the end the rain halted allowing the games to be played.

Game 1 (L, 5-1)

Holy Names got on the scoreboard first with a run in the bottom half of the first but saw Whittier tie the game up in the second behind a double from Xzandra Miranda-Castro that drove in Courtney DeLano.

But this would be the only run and the only hit the Poets would muster as the Hawks Nicole Ochoa and Stehpani Fairclough shut the Poets out over the next six innings to preserve the four run victory.

DeLano started on the mound for the Poets and was tagged with the loss as she went 4.1 innings giving up five runs (4 earned) on six hits, while striking out three.  This now drops her record to 7-6.

Game 2 (L, 4-2)   

In game two, Whittier and Holy Names remained scoreless over the first three innings until the Hawks added a run in the fourth to take an early lead.

Whittier answered in the ensuing inning adding two runs themselves behind a hit from Courtney Grana that drove in both Emi Shimamoto and Alexandra Flores that put Whittier on top 2-1.  But this lead was short-lived as Holy Names added another run to tie the game up at 2-2 in their half of the inning.

Then in the sixth, Holy Names put together a two out rally that pushed two runs across the plate ultimately giving them the lead 4-2 and a lead they would not relinquish.

Jessica Rosnack started on the mound for Whittier and went 5.1 innings giving up four runs on eight hits to go with four strikeouts now dropping her record to 5-5 on the season.  Her counterpart Valerie Grijalva went 3.2 innings and gave up three hits and then gave way to Stephani Fairclough who earned the win going 3.1 innings giving up three runs on three hits. 

Today, Wednesday, March 28 the Poets take on Patten University for their second matchup on the spring break with times slated to begin at 12pm and 2pm.