Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team after taking game one of a three game series Friday afternoon over the Stags of Claremont-M-S saw their senior day doubleheader spoiled Saturday despite holding late leads in both contests.

Prior to the games, Head Coach Mike Rizzo recognized his ten seniors who were leaving the program.  These seniors included: Stephen Zavala (Whittier, Calif.), Ben Cerami (Berkeley, Calif.), Thomas Hemington (Sacramento, Calif.), Jonathan Whipple (Sandy, UT), Nick Lopez (Bakersfield, Calif.), Cody Martinez (Whittier, Calif.), Chris Sekiguchi (Aiea, HI), Marquis Kidd (Diamond Bar, Calif.), Bryson Kihara (Kaneohe, HI), and Kyle Leon (Diamond Bar, Calif.).

Game 1 (Whittier – 7, Claremont-M-S – 3)

Despite CMS hitting three homeruns, it wasn't enough as Whittier held on for the four run victory.  It was a battle between the seventh and eighth place teams in SCIAC but the Stags' errors tipped the scales in the Poets' favor. 

Whittier got on the scoreboard early with three runs.  Whipple led things off with a triple to left center and was held up as Graham Pimm (Clayton, Calif.) singled to third base before moving into scoring position with a stolen base.

Zavala then stepped up with a single to center that plated both runners and then came across himself as Matthew Macey (Placentia, Calif.) would hit a sacrifice fly to center.

Another two would come across in the third.  Cerami got things started with a double to left center and moved to third after a Macey single to right.  Both runners would come in after a failed pickoff attempt and a fielder's choice.

CMS got two back with Trey Smith and John Rizzo solo shots in the fourth to pull within three.  WC would extend their lead to five in the eighth with a single from Martinez that plated two and despite a solo shot again by Rizzo in the ninth, it wouldn't be enough as Whittier would grab game one of the three game series. 

Nick Garcia (Anaheim, Calif.) threw a complete game picking up his third win on the season giving up three runs on 10 hits, while striking out six.

Pimm led the offense with three hits with two runs scored.             

Game 2 (Claremont-M-S – 12, Whittier – 9)

The Poets jumped out ahead quickly 4-0 after the first inning with a Zavala double, a triple by Martinez and a sacrifice fly from Cerami.

Zavala brought in another in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to left but CMS wouldn't go away pulling within two following a two spot in the top half of the fifth.  WC rallied again in the sixth this time for three runs.  Martinez was hit by a pitch that brought in a run and Cerami singled through the left side that brought in another two. 

In the seventh Pimm singled to the shortstop that scored Whipple who hit a triple right before, which moved the score to 9-3.  But that's when the wheels fell off as the Stags would bring across nine runs over the final two innings, which included a seven spot in the eighth capped off with a three run shot from Nolan Anderson that gave CMS their first lead of the series 10-9.

The Stags would add two more in the ninth with back to back singles from MacKenzie Menthen and Anderson and Sam Baughman shut the door in the bottom half of the ninth putting the Poets down 1-2-3. 

Lopez was tagged with the loss giving up one run on three hits.  Whipple led the offense with a 4-5 effort with four runs scored, while Pimm was 3-4 with a run scored.            

Game 3 (Claremont-M-S – 5, Whittier – 4)

In the final game of the series CMS got the upper hand taking a 3-1 lead.  Whittier would tie things up in the seventh with a solo shot from Zavala and a sacrifice fly from Sekiguchi and would take the lead the very next inning with a single from Cerami that scored Whipple.

Leading 4-3, Whittier looked like they would hold on for the come from behind victory and take the series but in one last ditch effort, CMS stormed back in the ninth getting after Cerami for two runs on three hits.  The second coming on a wild pitch, which proved costly as it would be the eventual game winner as Troy Odo would go 1-2-3 in the ninth picking up his second win on the season.      

Zavala was 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI, Cerami was 3-5 with two runs batted in, and Macey and Whipple were each 2-4. 

Whittier begins round robin play this Wednesday, April 22 as they host Pomona-Pitzer beginning at 3:00pm.