Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team split with the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands Saturday falling 2-1 in the three game series.
Whittier now drops to 9-12, 7-5 SCIAC after winning game one 3-2 before falling 15-1 in the nightcap.
Game 1 (W, 3-2)
The first game of the doubleheader proved to be a pitchers duel with freshman Thomas Hemington making his biggest start of the season going 8.0 complete giving up one earned run on three hits, while striking out four picking up his third win of the season. Bobby Santoyo came in relief and picked up the save, his first of the season.
Redlands grabbed an early lead bringing a run across in the 1st and 2nd. It stayed that way until the 8th when the Poets capitalized on an error and collected three hits en route to scoring three runs. Max Bradshaw led off the inning with a single to right and was followed by a Brady Thompson walk. Alex Mitchell then registered his first hit of the game and because of an error by the pitcher Bradshaw was able to come around to score.
After a pitching change, Corey Jensen came to the dish and drove one to center that brought two around to score and that would prove to be enough as the Poets held on for the one run victory.
Jensen led the offensive unit finishing 2-4 with two runs batted in.
Game 2 (L, 15-1)
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Poets were without Stephen Zavala and Jensen, two batters hitting over .350 and it proved to be costly as they fell 15-1 in just seven innings of play.
The Bulldogs who showed they are one of the most high powered offenses in the conference showed off their power this afternoon collecting 15 runs on 19 hits en route to the lopsided victory.
They scored a run in every inning, which included a four spot in the 4th and a six spot in the 7th. Whittier gathered a run in the 5th after Mitchell drove in Chris Sekiguchi with a single to right but this would be the lone run for the Purple & Gold as they would collect just four hits.
Freshman Nick Garcia was tagged with the loss going 3.1 innings giving up eight runs (six earned) on 13 hits suffering his first loss on the season.
Whittier returns to the diamond this Wednesday, March 20 when they host Rutgers-Newark in a non-conference match-up with the first pitch set for 3:00pm.
