Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif.- The Whittier College baseball team wrapped up their final doubleheader at Memorial Stadium by falling to the Leopards of the University of La Verne for the second straight day 8-4 to close out the twin bill.
Whittier now drops to 13-15, 7-11 SCIAC, while La Verne remains atop the SCIAC standings with a 19-10, 14-4 SCIAC.
The game today was originally scheduled for yesterday afternoon but due to umpire availability it was pushed back a day forcing the twin bill to be split over two days. In the end the one game a day favored La Verne as they came out on top for the second straight game winning 8-4.
Head Coach Mike Rizzo started sophomore Curtis Martin in game three of the series and saw him go 3.0 innings giving up two runs on three hits. When he left the game the Poets trailed 2-0.
La Verne added runs in the top half of the first and then added runs in the third and fourth to take a 3-0 lead but saw Whittier get on the scoreboard in the sixth with a run themselves behind a triple from senior Austin Straus who drove in Stephen Zavala who had walked. This cut the Leopard lead to two until La Verne added another run in the ensuing inning and then added two more in the top half of the eighth to take a commanding 6-1 lead.
But the Purple & Gold didn't get discouraged and rallied back in their half of the eighth with three runs of their own. The inning started with back to back singles from Alex Mitchell and Zavala followed by Andrew Vallejo reaching on a fielder's choice. This loaded the bases for Straus who doubled through the left side driving in A. Mitchell.
Cory Goodchild then came to bat and grounded a ball to the shortstop who only had one play and that was to first, which led to another run coming in. But Whittier wasn't done there as Corey Jensen stepped into the box and singled up the middle with two outs that drove in Straus pulling the Poets within three.
Bu in the ninth Whittier fell on bad luck as senior third baseman Pete Mitchell made a costly throwing error that allowed two runs to come across the plate with two outs moving the Leopard lead to four.
The Poets tried to answer in the bottom half of the ninth but their rally was cut short with runners on first and second when Vallejo drove a ball to the center fielder who caught it for the final out preserving the 8-4 victory.
Whittier was led on offense by Straus who finished 2-3 with a run and two RBI's, while Zavala finished 2-3 with a run scored.
Whittier looks to bounce back looking for their first sweep of the season as they welcome in the Tigers of Occidental College on Friday, April 6 beginning at 3:00pm before traveling out into Los Angeles to take on the Tigers in a doubleheader the following day on Saturday, April 7 with times slated for 11am and 2:30pm.
