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Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
ORANGE, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team extended their winning streak to four games Saturday as they stunned the Panthers of Chapman University on the road in a doubleheader sweep 4-1 and 5-3 to open up Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
Whittier remains unbeaten on the young season at 4-0, 2-0 SCIAC, while Chapman drops to 1-3, 0-2 SCIAC.
Chapman who was a favorite to go deep in SCIAC competition this season with All-SCIAC pitching performers Cassie Oregel and Natalie Both ran into a roadblock with the Poets led by senior Courtney DeLano who is proving to be one the premier pitchers in the conference.
Game 1 (Whittier - 4, Chapman – 1)
DeLano for the second straight game put together yet another strong pitching performance as she went a complete game giving up one earned run on four hits over eight innings. She dueled with Natalie Both who saw her outstanding start spoiled after striking out 13 before succumbing to the Poets in extras.
Chapman struck first in the Bottom of the 2nd when Karina Muniz singled up the middle to bring in Amber Perez. Whittier then answered in the Top of the 3rd. Alysa Gutierrez walked to lead off the inning and was then sacrificed over by Alexandra Flores. Emi Shimamoto then singled to left and due to an errant throw advanced to second, which plated Gutierrez.
The next four innings would remain scoreless until the Poets would break through in the Top of the 8th. Shimamoto led things off with a double to left. After a Sam Mellano fly out, Mickala Gonzales doubled which plated Shimamoto, which was immediately followed by a Mercedes Cundiff double to left center and a Samantha Blum single up the middle that brought around two more, which was enough for DeLano to secure the victory in the bottom half of the frame.
DeLano picked up her second straight victory, while Both was tagged with her second straight loss.
Game 2 (Whittier – 5, Chapman – 3)
Whittier jumped out quickly in game two conducting their scoring in the first four innings despite being out hit by Chapman 10-8. Five of the Poets' eight hits went for extra bases (two doubles, three triples), which chased Panther starter and ace Cassie Oregel after just 2.1 innings.
Flores opened up the game with a triple to left center and scored following a Shimamoto ground out. Blum then got into the mix in the Top of the 2nd with a double that brought around Gutierrez who had tripled prior to the at bat. Then in the Top of the 3rd, Mellano doubled and Gonzales singled that brought around two more that put the Poets up 4-1. Lauren Gandi then capped off the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center that brought in Blum who tripled in the first at bat of the fourth.
Trailing 5-1 in the fourth, Chapman rallied for a pair of runs and threatened in the 5th getting the bases loaded but could not bring any runs across allowing senior Anna Cade to retire the final seven batters she faced to pick up her second win on the season.
Whittier turns around and faces Holy Names University today, Sunday, February 16 with games slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
