Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestphotography.com
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team earned a split with their Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic conference (SCIAC) rivals Cal Lutheran Saturday afternoon, winning 7-3 in the first game before falling 7-2 in the second.
The Poets who were coming off of a split with La Verne took to SCIAC play to wrap up Spring Break and came away with the split against the Regals who were in 7th place in the SCIAC standings.
Game 1 (W, 7-3)
The Regals jumped out in front with two early runs in the first inning sparked by a two out solo shot from Shannon Tinsley. Cal Lutheran would add an insurance run in the 3rd to push the score to 3-0 but the Poets responded scoring seven unanswered tying the game up at three after they plated three in the 6th.
Cindy Loza started the inning off with a single and was followed by Samantha Mellano who singled up the middle. After Mickala Gonzales walked to load the bases, two groundouts would bring in two before Jordan Learn would single through the left side to bring in the third run of the inning.
After CLU stranded a runner in scoring position to take the lead in the bottom of the 6th the Poets responded in the top of the 7th bringing across four stringing together three straight hits and Loza scoring on an RBI groundout. Whittier then broke the game wide open a batter later when Mercedez Cundiff lined a two run single to center.
Cal Lutheran mounted one final comeback when Kayla Sakamoto singled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Tinsley then followed with a double off the left field fence but Whittier's Courtney DeLano got the final Regals batter to ground out to third, securing the win for the Poets grabbing her sixth win of the season.
Loza and Mellano led the Poets offensively tallying three hits apiece.
Game 2 (L, 7-2)
In the second game of the doubleheader Cal Lutheran started off the scoring with three runs on five hits in the second inning. The Poets got on the scoreboard in the 3rd after Loza drove in Courtney Grana but CLU would tally a run in each of the next four innings en route to the 7-2 victory.
The Poets brought around their second run of the game in the 6th when Learn doubled to left center bringing home Emi Shimamoto but this would be the last offense put together for the Purple & Gold as Christianson and Downing would quiet the Poet bats preserving the five run victory for CLU.
Senior Jessica Rosnack was charged with the loss after going 2.1 innings giving up four runs on seven hits dropping her record to 4-4 on the season.
The Poets return to the diamond when they host Williams College on Tuesday, March 26 with game times slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
