Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – In a must win doubleheader, the Whittier College softball team saw their SCIAC Post Season Tournament hopes slip away as they split with the Tigers of Occidental College winning 6-1 in game one before losing 7-5 in game two.
Whittier had four games remaining on their schedule and needed to win all of them to make the SCIAC Post Season Tournament but saw their tournament appearance streak end at six after splitting with the Tigers Friday afternoon.
Game 1 (W, 6-1)
Whittier's Courtney DeLano picked up her 12th win of the season after going the distance giving up one run on seven hits to go with six strikeouts. The Poets added two runs in the first inning led off by Samantha Mellano who doubled to left center and whom was followed with singles by Xzandra Miranda-Castro and Mercedez Cundiff.
The Purple & Gold would add their third run in the 3rd inning thanks to a Miranda-Castro single that brought around Cindy Loza and then in the 5th and 6th they would add three more thanks to a Cundiff double and a Mickala Gonzales single that put the game out of reach for the Tigers.
Cundiff, Miranda-Castro, and Courtney Grana each picked up two hits apiece, while Cundiff knocked in three runs.
Game 2 (L, 7-5)
The second game proved to be a battle till the very end with the Poets coming from behind to take a 5-4 lead thanks to a big 5th inning where they brought around four runs. But they surrendered the lead in the ensuing inning when the Tigers brought around three, which proved to be enough for the 7-5 victory.
Oxy added the first run of the game in the bottom half of the 1st thanks to a wild pitch but saw WC even the game up in the top half of the 2nd behind an Alexandra Flores double to left center that brought home Grana.
The Tigers scrapped and brought around a run in both the 3rd and 4th to take a 3-1 lead before the Poets battled back with four runs in the 5th to take a one run lead. Loza led off the inning with a single up the middle and then moved into scoring position after a Mellano walk. After a popout and flyout, Whittier rallied with two outs with back to back doubles from Jordan Learn and Grana.
But this lead would soon diminish two innings later as Oxy would rally with two outs to plate three runs to clinch the victory.
Jessica Rosnack got the start and went 4.1 innings giving up four runs on nine hits in the no decision before giving way to Anna Cade who was charged with the loss after she went 1.2 innings giving up one earned run on four hits.
Flores led the offense finishing 3-4 with an RBI, while Learn finished 2-4 with a run scored and a run batted in.
Whittier wraps up their regular season tomorrow, Saturday, April 20 when they host Cal Lutheran on Senior Day with game times set for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
