Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team for the first time this season was swept in a twin bill as they dropped 3-1 and 11-1 decisions to the Tigers of Occidental College Saturday afternoon dropping to 11-15, 8-7 SCIAC.
The Poets combined for just two runs in their second lowest offensive output of the season combining for 14 hits.
Game 1 (L, 3-1)
Sophomore Thomas Hemington got the nod in the first game of the doubleheader and earned his third loss of the season after tossing 5.2 innings strong surrendering just one earned run on five hits, while striking out six.
Whittier got on the board first with a run in the bottom half of the first thanks to Julian Barzilli who doubled down the left field line scoring Stephen Zavala from second. After Oxy added three in the top half of the 3rd the Purple & Gold saw a golden opportunity wasted in the bottom half to get back into the game after Barzilli and Cody Martinez went down on strikes stranding three.
After the 3rd, it became a pitcher's duel. Curtis Martin for the Poets who relieved Hemington saw his best outing of the season going 3.1 innings giving up just three hits, while the Tigers used a combination of four relievers to earn the victory.
The Poets had two more opportunities to bring runs across in the bottom half of the 6th and the 7th but stranded three allowing the Tigers to escape with the two run victory. With two outs in the 6th, Martinez doubled to left center and then attempted to score after a Max Bradshaw single to right but was thrown out at the plate despite creating a head on collision with Oxy catcher Munoz in an attempt to jar the ball loose.
Whittier saw their last chance to plate runs in the 7th after getting Cody Reilly in scoring position after reaching on an error by the shortstop to open the inning. But after a Willie Renard single moved him over to third, Alex Mitchell came to bat and hit into the 643 double play stopping the rally short.
Game (L, 11-1)
The Poets did not fare well in game two of the doubleheaderplating just one run on nine hits in the lopsided loss. The Poets were held scoreless until the 8th when they got on the scoreboard thanks to an Oxy passed ball that plated Barzilli but that would be the only run scored by the Purple & Gold as starter Maruyama and the other four relievers quieted the Poet bats in 8.0 innings of work, while giving up just nine hits.
Josh Genzuk led the offensive unit finishing 2-3.
Freshman Nick Garcia started game two and was tagged with his fourth loss of the season after he finished 6.0 innings giving up three earned runs on seven hits, while striking out five.
Whittier returns next weekend for a three game series with La Verne. Friday, April 6 is a solo game at Whittier College beginning at 2:30pm, before the Poets hit the road to take on the Leopards on April 7 for a doubleheader with game times set for 11:00am and 2:30pm.
