Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
REDLANDS, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team came away with a split against Redlands Saturday winning game one 6-2 before dropping a tough 15-2 decision in the second.
Both teams took part in the Strikeout Cancer Event at the Field of Dreams.
Game 1 (Whittier – 6, Redlands – 2)
Sophomore Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) continues to roll as she improved to 16-3 on the season and is now two off the single season total victories trailing Kathy Rodrigues who has 18.
Blum tossed her 10th complete game giving up two runs on 10 hits and struck out three. Whittier jumped out in front 3-0 getting their first in the second inning off the bat of Alyse Gutierrez (West Covina, Calif.) who hit a double to left center driving in Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.). They added another two the very next inning coming off doubles from Samantha Mellano (Fullerton, Calif.) and Mercedez Cundiff (Rowland, Calif.) and a throwing error by the shortstop.
Redlands however came back in the bottom half of the third with two of their own that cut the deficit to one but that would be the last time they would bring any runs across as the Purple & Gold would add another three in the fifth with doubles from Cundiff and Gutierrez that put the game out of reach.
The Poets handed Lauren Henson her 10th loss on the season after totaling 8 hits led by Cundiff who was 2-4 with two runs scored and three RBI's and Gutierrez who was 2-3 with two runs batted in.
Game 2 (Redlands – 15, Whittier – 2) – 5-Innings
Rachel Alhanati (Lake Forest, Calif.) got the start in game two but lasted just 3.2 innings and fell unlucky giving up 12 runs, with just three being earned. The Bulldogs went to work in the first bringing across two runs capitalizing on two Poet errors. The Purple & Gold came back to tie things up in the top half of the second from Ahern as she homered bringing in Cundiff but that would be the last time Whittier would manufacture any runs as UR piled on another 13 runs over the next three innings using four more Poet errors to secure the lopsided victory.
Ahern finished 1-2 with a run scored and two RBI's.
Whittier begins preparing for four games this weekend. They begin with a pari at La Verne on Friday, April 17 beginning at 4:00pm. They then return home the next day, Saturday, April 18 as they host Occidental College with first pitches slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
