Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LA VERNE, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team was swept in a three game series for the second straight weekend as they fell in a doubleheader Saturday 4-2 and 12-5 to the University of La Verne.
Game 1 (La Verne - 4, Whittier - 2)
Nick Garcia (Whittier, Calif.) for the second straight start put out a strong performance tossing 7.1 innings giving up three runs on four hits, while striking out three but is still winless on the season at 0-4.
The Poets got after Leo starter Brett Early in the first inning bringing across two runs on three hits. Ben Cerami (Berkeley, Calif.) and Stephen Zavala (Whittier, Calif.) led off the inning with singles and Cody Martinez (Whittier, Calif.) moved them both over with a sacrifice bunt. Mike San Angelo (Downey, Calif.) then came up two batters later and singled to left that brought in two.
But those would be the lone two runs scored for Whittier as Early became nails over the next seven innings, scattering 10 Poet hits, collecting nine strikeouts and seeing no runner advance past second base.
Leading 2-1 in the bottom half of the eighth, Whittier saw La Verne comeback putting up three runs that gave them a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Mark Jebbia sparked the rally by hitting a triple and scoring on the next play on a single by Jakob Thomas. Nolan Henley then hit a double to left bringing in Thomas for the go-ahead run and Whittier reliever Matthew Macey (Oceanside, Calif.) completely lost the command of the strike zone as he walked three straight La Verne batters, pushing across Henley, as the Leopards took a 4-2 lead.
Whittier put together a ninth inning rally with Chris Sekiguchi (Aiea, HI) getting a single up the middle, but Jonathan Whipple (Sandy, UT) would hit into the game ending 5-4-3 double play.
Andrew Lamar (Alta Loma, Calif.) finished the day 2-3, while Cerami and Zavala were 2-4 with runs scored.
Game 2 (La Verne – 12, Whittier – 5)
La Verne used a 10-run fifth inning to complete the sweep over the Poets. The Leopards sent 14 batters to the plate and put together 10 hits in the frame with eight different batters notching hits. Whittier's bats were held in check for the first five innings by Mark Jebbia who went 3.0 innings picking up his first win on the season.
Head Coach Mike Rizzo pulled all nine starters and put in subs following the 5th and saw the reserves put up five runs over the final four innings. Whittier put up three in the sixth thanks to a Dylan DeBrouwer (Manteca, Calif.) double and a fielding error by the third baseman that put on Bryson Kihara (Kaneohe, HI).
Ryan Nakamura (Honolulu, HI) reached in the seventh with a fielding error by the left fielder, which plated Sekiguchi who reached on a single in an earlier at bat and Whittier brought in another in the ninth when Lamar reached on an error by the shortstop that brought in Whipple who led the inning off with a triple.
But the five run comeback wouldn't be enough as Whittier dropped to 2-14, 1-8 SCIAC.
Whipple, Martinez, and Graham Pimm (Clayton, Calif.) each recorded two hits, while Matt Webster (Yorba Linda, Calif.) was charged with the loss going 4.1 innings giving up five runs on eight hits.
Whittier returns to the diamond this Tuesday, March 10 as they begin a four game nonconference homestand beginning with Drew University with first pitch slated for 3:00pm.
