Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team wrapped up their non-conference schedule Wednesday as they swept the Golden Eagles of La Sierra 9-0 and 7-6 to improve to 19-7, 9-5 SCIAC.
Following their Spring Break trip down to Arizona the Poets have now won four in a row and six of their last eight to remain in fourth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Standings.
Game 1 (W, 9-0 – 5 Innings)
The Poets jumped all over La Sierra starting pitcher Aleena Bahling with five runs in the first capped off by a three run shot to dead center from Mickala Gonzales and back to back singles from Mercedez Cundiff and Samantha Blum.
Bahling lasted only 2.2 innings after she gave up another four runs in the third that opened the game up for the Purple & Gold. With two outs, Courtney DeLano doubled to left and was followed by three straight singles from Blum, Alex Algandar, and Alexandra Flores. Three straight walks then occurred to Emi Shimamoto, Samantha Mellano, and Gonzales that plated two moving the score to 9-0, which would be enough for the Poets to take game one.
DeLano threw a complete game going 5.0 innings giving up just three hits, while striking out four picking up her tenth win on the season. She also did damage at the plate going 3-3 with a run scored.
Flores finished the day 1-2 with two runs scored and an RBI, while Blum was 2-3 with a run scored and two runs batted in.
Game 2 (W, 7-6 – 8 Innings)
The second game of the doubleheader proved exciting in an eighth inning international tiebreaker. La Sierra struck first in the top half of the first with a two run blast to left field from Melanie Vidaurri. But Whittier responded in their half of the inning with a three spot with a Jordan Learn single and a Cundiff double that put WC in front 3-2.
Flores added to the Poet lead the next inning hitting a solo shot to left center before the Golden Eagles struck for three in the fourth that put them in front 5-4. Whittier managed to scrap a run across in the fourth. Algandar walked and was pinched run for by Lauren Gandi. Flores walked to put runners on first and second and Shimamoto moved them over with a sacrifice bunt. Mellano then popped one into shallow left on the next at bat holding the runner at third but with two outs, a wild pitch occurred allowing Gandi to score knotting the game up at five.
LSU would regain the lead in the sixth with a solo shot from Monique Villasenor to left but again Whittier put together another rally in their half of the inning bringing across one to again tie the game up. After a scoreless seventh, the game went into the international tiebreaker in the eighth with each team having a runner start at second to begin their half of the inning.
The Poets managed to hold the Golden Eagles scoreless in their half and then came up in the bottom of the eighth and plated the game winner coming on a single from Shimamoto to right field.
Blum got the start and went 5.0 innings giving up just three runs on five hits. DeLano came in relief and threw three innings of one hit softball earning her 11th win on the season.
Flores was 2-3 with a run scored and an RBI, while Learn reached base three times going 1-2 with two walks, a run scored and two runs batted in.
Whittier returns to action this weekend to play Claremont-M-S on the road this Sunday, March 30 with games at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
