Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – For the first time this season the Whittier College baseball team has taken a series over an opponent as they took two of three from No. 8 Cal Lutheran University. After a 9-5 victory in game one the Poets split on Saturday taking game two 7-6 before dropping a tight 9-3 decision in the nightcap.
Joining forces with Cancer Fit, Inc. the CLU baseball team wore gold jerseys, the color to recognize childhood cancer. Eight-year old team member Kyle O'Connor, who was drafted to the team through the MVP Sports Draft program, served as the honorary captain in the game and threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The MVP Sports Draft program helps to match childhood cancer survivors with a high school or college team in the Southern California area.
Game 1 (Whittier – 7, Cal Lutheran – 6)
The Poets put up a crooked number in the first inning bringing across five runs on five hits against CLU starter Trey Saito (5-3) who lasted just 5.2 innings giving up seven runs on 10 hits. With two outs the Poets rallied. Stephen Zavala (Whittier, Calif.) singled through the left side, Cody Martinez (Whittier, Calif.) singled up the middle and Matthew Macey (Oceanside, Calif.) walked that loaded the bases.
Charlie Mayfield (Placentia, Calif.) kept the rally going with a single up the middle and was followed by a Cody Reilly (Lakeside, Calif.) single to left and an Andrew Lamar (Alta Loma, Calif.) triple to right center that cleared the bases.
CLU got two back in the bottom half of the inning behind a Kyle Sanchez double down the right field line and singles by Justin Cana and Max Price.
The Kingsmen got another two over the next four innings that pulled them within one 5-4. Whittier found their bats again in the sixth this time striking for two runs. Lamar led off the inning getting hit by a pitch. Dylan DeBrouwer (Manteca, Calif.) followed with a triple to right center and Jonathan Whipple (Sandy, UT) then brought him in with a sacrifice fly to right.
CLU didn't go away however getting another back in the bottom half of the frame to again pull within one 7-6. But that's all the offense they could gather as Ben Cerami (Berkeley, Calif.) pitched lights out over the final three innings giving up just one hit and striking out two, while picking up his first save on the season.
Nick Garcia (Whittier, Calif.) threw another quality start going 6.0 innings giving up six runs on 11 hits and struck out four but this time around he picked up his first win of the season.
Lamar finished 2-3 with a run scored and three runs batted in and joined four other Poets who collected two hits on the day.
Game 2 (Cal Lutheran – 9, Whittier – 3)
The Kingsmen' bats came alive in game two jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. Whittier finally got on the board in the 5th with a Reilly single to left that plated Mayfield and would get another two the very next inning that cut the deficit to two. Zavala led off the rally with a single back to the pitcher and Macey followed with a single to left center. Cerami came up with a single to left that plated one and Mayfield followed suit with a single to right center that brought in another.
But this would be the final runs put up by the Purple & Gold as the Kingsmen relieving core would shut the door over the final three innings that salvaged at least one win over the Poets.
Thomas Hemington (Sacramento, Calif.) got the start in game two and went 3.2 innings giving up three runs on five hits and was charged with his second loss on the season.
Mayfield had a big day going 3-4 with a run scored and a run batted in, while Zavala was the only other Poet to record at least two hits.
Whittier returns to action this weekend when they open a three game series with Chapman University. Friday, April 3 they travel down to Orange for a 3:00pm start and Saturday, April 4 they return to Memorial Field for a doubleheader with game times slated for 11:00am and 2:30pm.
