WHITTIER, Calif. - Fresh off of its first series victory since February, the Whittier College baseball team took the field Wednesday looking to spoil the playoff plans of the Bulldogs of the University of Redlands.

The Poets jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second thanks to an RBI single off the bat of sophomore left fielder Ben Cerami, plating junior Julian Barzilli from third. Redlands would answer in the top of the third however, as Whittier southpaw Thomas Hemington allowed three consecutive singles to load the bases.  A Bulldogs sacrifice fly brought home the tying run, but Hemington managed to escape the inning without allowing another score.

After stranding runners on second and third in the bottom of the inning, the Poets came to bat in the bottom of the fourth with the score still tied at one.  Cerami sparked the offense again with a one-out double, and after a single by freshman first baseman Max Bradshaw, sophomore second baseman Christian Loera came to the plate with runners on the corners.  Loera managed to lay down a bunt, and the safety squeeze was successful as Cerami scampered home from third to give Whittier a one run advantage.

The 2-1 lead was all Hemington would need, and the lefty went on to allow just two hits over the next four innings.  In the eighth, Hemington was replaced by senior right hander Bobby Santoyo. Santoyo was able to get the final five outs to close the game, and the Poets extended their win streak to three, splitting the season series with Redlands 2-2.

Hemington went 7.1 innings while scattering six hits, issuing five walks and striking out two. Cerami finished the day 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.

Whittier returns to the field this Saturday April 27, when they travel to Orange, Calif. to take on Chapman University beginning at 11:00am.