Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team earned a split Friday afternoon with Chapman University combining for 15 runs in 17 innings winning 1-0 in game one before falling 8-6 in game two.
With the split, the Poets improve to 9-3, 5-3 SCIAC sitting in 3rd Place in the SCIAC standings behind Redlands and Cal Lutheran.
Game 1 (W, 1-0)
Game one proved to be a pitchers duel between Courtney DeLano and Natalie Both. They both threw complete games with DeLano giving up five hits, while Both surrendered three with the biggest coming in the bottom of the eighth from junior second baseman Alexandra Flores who hit a walk off solo shot to left center that sent the Poets to the 1-0 victory.
The win was DeLano's fifth of the season, while Both dropped to 2-5.
Game 2 (L, 8-6)
The second game of the doubleheader showed more of an offensive presence from both teams. Whittier got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the third thanks to Mercedez Cundiff who brought in Flores with a sacrifice fly. But Chapman answered getting five runs over the next two innings sparked by a solo shot from L. Perez and a Holt double to right center that put the panthers up 5-1.
The Purple & Gold would get their second run in the fifth from a Jordan Learn single that plated Emi Shimamoto and would put together a big rally in the bottom of the seventh that tied the game up at five.
Cundiff started off the inning with a walk and was joined by Samantha Mellano who also earned a walk that put a runner in scoring position. Learn then doubled to left center that brought in one before DeLano brought in a pair with a single up the middle.
In extras, Whittier had a shot to sweep the doubleheader getting a runner in scoring position in the eighth but two liners from Cundiff and Mickala Gonzales would end the threat.
Chapman would capitalize in the ninth though getting a leadoff solo shot from Cartwright but then adding insurance from a Holt single and a Worthington ground out that put CU in front 8-5.
Mellano led off the bottom of the ninth with a single to right and then reached second after an error by the pitcher that put runners on first and second. Mellano and Learn then moved over following a DeLano groundout and then Mellano came in following a dropped third strike on Samantha Blum that pulled the Poets within two. Then with two outs and a runner on, freshman Alex Algandar got a shot but struck out stopping any Poet comeback.
Blum was tagged with the loss going 2.2 innings giving up four runs on seven hits, while Cassie Oregel went 6.0 innings giving up two runs on six hits achieving the win.
Whittier remains in SCIAC competition with a road doubleheader tomorrow, Saturday, March 8 when they take on Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
