Photo by: Lance Franey
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Poets and the University of La Verne Leopards took part in the third annual Strike Out Cancer event Saturday afternoon and split on the day with the Leos taking game one and the Poets taking game two.
Whittier continues to seek yet another SCIAC Post Season Tournament and still are in the hunt for the fourth spot but have two doubleheaders remaining against Occidental and Cal Lutheran, while La Verne finishes with Pomona-Pitzer.
WC and ULV now split on the regular season at 2-2.
Game 1 (L, 13-8)
The first game of the doubleheader lasted over two and a half hours with 21 total runs being scored. La Verne started off the scoring with a three spot in the first thanks to three errors by the Poets but WC bounced back in their half of the inning with two runs thanks to a leadoff triple by Alexandra Flores and two singles from Cindy Loza and Xzandra Miranda-Castro.
In the 3rd, La Verne added to their lead with four runs sparked by a Freret homer to right, which moved the score to 7-2, but again Whittier rallied and pulled within two in the bottom half of the inning. Mercedez Cundiff led off the inning with a single and was driven in by a Jordan Learn single up the middle. Courtney Grana then walked and was followed by back to back singles by Alyse Gutierrez and Flores, which moved the score to 7-5.
But La Verne was not phased and came back the next inning with a solo shot from De Larosa and then a two run blast from Kibbe that added insurance to their lead.
The Poets were held scoreless in their half of the 4th and starting off the 5th, La Verne added another two runs thanks to a two run blast from Duran that gave the Leos a 12-5 lead.
Whittier answered back though once again plating two in the 5th due to an illegal pitch thrown by Kibbe and a single by Samantha Mellano and then in one last ditch effort, the Poets' Mickala Gonzales homered in the 6th to pull Whittier within five but it wouldn't be enough to upend the Leopards.
Courtney DeLano was charged with the loss her fourth of the season, while Kibbe picked up her eighth win of the season. Four Poets registered two hits a piece led by Loza who finished 2-5 with a run scored and two runs batted in and Learn who finished 2-4 with two runs scored and a run batted in.
Game 2 (W, 8-4)
Whittier came out hot in game two picking up eight runs on eight hits. After La Verne opened up the game with two in the first Whittier found their bats quickly bringing across four in the bottom half thanks to a three run blast from Gonzales and a solo shot from Miranda-Castro that gave the Poets a cushion, which was good enough to pull off the split.
La Verne threatened in the 3rd plating one after getting the bases loaded but the Poets put the game away with another four spot in the 4th thanks to two doubles from Flores and Loza.
Heather Salisbury started game two but came out after an inning pitched and was relieved by DeLano who picked up her eleventh win after she completed the final 5.1 innings.
Gonzales led the offense going 2-3 with a run scored and four runs batted in, while Mellano finished 1-2 with two runs scored and three runs batted in.
Whittier returns to the diamond this Friday, April 19 when they travel into los Angeles to take on the Tigers of Occidental College in a must win match-up. Game times set for 2:00pm and 4:00pm.
