Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
HAPPY VALLEY, Ariz. – The Whittier College baseball team opened up their 2013 campaign today but came away with two losses to Whitman and Hardin-Simmons during the Arizona Desert Classic.
The Poets who look to continue where they left off from last season's 21-17, 15-13 SCIAC record got their season off on the wrong foot as they dropped a 13-9 decision to Whitman before falling 12-9 to Hardin Simmons.
Game 1 (Whitman – L, 13-9)
In game one of the Arizona Desert Classic, the Poets took on the Missionaries of Whitman College. Junior center fielder Corey Jensen led off the game with a bang for the Purple & Gold in the top of the 1st lacing a leadoff double to left-center. Sophomore second baseman Christian Loera laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Jensen to third, and sophomore catcher Stephen Zavala brought Jensen home with an RBI single.
Whitman answered in the bottom half of the frame, scoring three runs on four hits off of Poets starter Curtis Martin. In the 2nd inning, Whittier's Jonathan Whipple worked a leadoff walk, and was promptly bunted over to second base by senior shortstop Josh Genzuk. Two batters later senior right fielder Alex Mitchell reached base on an error by the Whitman second baseman, allowing Whipple to score bringing the Poets within one. Mitchell ended up stealing second and third during Jensen's second at-bat, scoring easily after another error by the Whitman second baseman to knot the game at three runs apiece.
Not to be out done, Whitman utilized a pair of doubles to tack one on in the bottom of the inning, giving them a 4-3 lead. The Poets got that run right back off the bat of junior transfer Julian Barzilli, who christened his Poet debut with a 380-foot homer that once again tied the game. But Barzilli's heroics did little to dampen the Whitman bats, as the Missionaries exploded for 9 runs spread over the 4th and 5th innings. Three Poet pitchers allowed 14 Whitman hitters to reach base in that span.
Whittier attempted a comeback in the top of the 6th, as a leadoff single by Genzuk and back to back walks issued to freshman first baseman Max Bradshaw and the speedy Mitchell loaded the bases. After another Whitman error gifted the Poets their fifth run, Zavala dug in for his fourth at-bat with two hits already on the books. The sophomore ripped a 1-2 pitch to centerfield that drove in Bradshaw and Mitchell, bringing the Poets within six. Freshman pitcher Justin Cheatham silenced the Missionary bats for two and a half innings out of the bullpen after inheriting runners on base, allowing Whittier to go to work in the 7th, when they added two more runs that made the score 13-9. But the rally stalled when Whitman turned a double play with the bases loaded and only one out, and that was all she wrote for the Poets in the opening tilt.
Game 2 (Hardin-Simmons – L, 12-9)
In game two of the Desert Classic, Whittier saw themselves pinned against Hardin-Simmons who was coming off of an 18-1 victory Pacific Lutheran the previous day. Whittier saw themselves get down early 7-0 after three innings of play and were unable to mount the comeback as the Cowboys held on for the three run victory at Boulder Creek High School.
Despite adding four runs in the top of the third to extend their lead to 7-0, the Cowboys saw Whittier rally back to add four in their half of the inning. Jensen led off the inning with a single up the middle and was followed by a Loera walk. With runners on first and second, sophomore Zavala stepped up and belted one to left that put the Poets on the scoreboard.
But they weren't done there as junior transfer Barzilli doubled to left center, and was driven in thanks to a single by Willie Renard that pulled the Purple & Gold within three at 7-4.
After Hardin-Simmons added a two spot in their half of the fourth, Whittier again answered with two of their own. With two outs and Mitchell in scoring position who was sacrificed over by Jensen, Zavala came through and drove in his fourth run of the game driving a single through the left side bringing home Mitchell. After Barzilli was hit by a pitch moving Zavala into scoring position, Whipple poked one into right field driving in Zavala keeping the Purple & Gold within striking distance.
After a scoreless fifth, Hardin-Simmons answered with two of their own thanks to a Jacques single that drove in Patino and Hannagan. This extended their lead to 11-6, but Whittier didn't back down and held the Cowboys scoreless in the top half of the seventh, while adding their own three runs. Renard led off the inning getting hit by a pitch and was moved over after a Genzuk walk. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Mitchell then drove the ensuing pitch into left driving in Armando Valdez pulling the Poets within four. But those ducks wouldn't sit out on the pond for very long as a wild pitch would move up Mitchell into scoring position and on the ensuing pitch, another wild pitch would occur scoring Genzuk pulling the Poets within three once again.
Following the wild pitch Mitchell found himself 90 feet away from scoring but he didn't stay there long as Jensen would drive him in on the ensuing at bat after grounding out to the pitcher. This would pull the Poets within two at 11-9.
The Poets managed to tally back-to-back singles to open the eighth but the Cowboy closer came in and struck out the side keeping the Poets scoreless in the final two innings.
Zavala finished the day 3-5 with two runs scored and four RBI's, while Renard went 2-3 and Barzilli 2-4 with a run scored.
On the mound, Ben Cerami was tagged with the loss after going 3.2 innings surrendering nine runs on 13 hits, while striking out five.
The Poets continue with the Arizona Desert Classic as they take on Concordia (TX), tomorrow, Saturday, February 8 with the first pitch scheduled for 1:30pm.
