Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team earned a split with the University of Redlands Saturday cruising to the 11-3 victory in game one before dropping an 8-2 decision in game two.

Whittier has now dropped three of their last four games but still leads the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Standings (SCIAC) with a 12-8, 10-2 record a game ahead of Cal Lutheran who sits in second. 

Game 1 (W, 11-3)

Redlands opened up the scoring in the first with a McMillan single to center that brought in Bowker.

In the second, Julian Barzilli led things off with a single to right and then advanced on a wild pitch.  He was then moved over to third before a Ben Cerami single and a Cody Martinez double to left center plated two giving the Poets their first lead of the contest. 

Barzilli would give WC insurance runs in the third sending a 3-2 fastball over the center field fence, his SCIAC leading seventh of the season.  The following three innings would remain scoreless until the Bulldogs would rally in the seventh.  Behind Conci and Scalisi singles and a Scheiwe double to left, UR would pull within one 4-3 until Whittier would extend their lead for good bringing across seven runs on four hits in the eighth putting the game out of reach.

Curtis Martin picked up his fourth win on the season going 8.0 innings giving up three runs on 11 hits.  Collins would earn the loss for Redlands being tagged for four runs on seven hits in 7.0 innings. 

Corey Jensen finished the game 3-5 with two runs scored and two runs batted in.  Barzilli was 2-4 with three runs scored and two RBI's, while Cerami collected two hits as well with two runs scored and three RBI's.          

Game 2 (L, 8-2)

Whittier looked like they would sweep the Bulldogs going in front 2-0 after four innings of play.  Jonathan Whipple singled in a run in the third and Cerami brought in one in the fourth but that's where the offense would stall as Justin Cheatham would relinquish the lead in the seventh giving up three runs on five hits.

The Poets had an opportunity in the bottom half of the inning getting the bases loaded with just one out.  Martinez and Armando Valdez singled and Mike San Angelo walked but Graham Pimm would ground out into the 643 double play that ended the Poets comeback attempt as UR would add insurance runs in the ninth behind a McMillan three run shot to deep right.

Cheatham picked up his first loss on the season going 8.0 innings giving up three runs on eight hits.  Makler pitched a complete game for his fourth victory despite throwing 133 pitches giving up two runs on seven hits.

Whipple and Stephen Zavala both finished 2-4.              

Whittier returns to the diamond this Wednesday, March 19 when they host Rutgers-Newark in a doubleheader with game times set for 12:00pm and 2:30pm.