Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – Sophomore ace Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) threw her first career perfect game Saturday as she led the Poets to a sweep of Occidental College 10-0 and 5-3 at Palmer Field that keeps them a game ahead of Claremont-M-S in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) standings.
With her two wins on the day, Blum improves to 18-4 on the season and is now tied for the most wins in a single season with Kathy Rodrigues who earned 18 wins back in 1985.
Game 1 (Whittier – 10, Occidental – 0)
The Poets needed just five innings and an hour and twenty three minutes to earn the game one victory. Mercedez Cundiff (Rowland, Calif.) doubled to left that scored Samantha Mellano (Fullerton, Calif.) in the first that put the Poets on the scoreboard. They would get another in the third capitalizing on an error by the second baseman with Alexandra Flores (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) scoring.
But the big inning came in the fourth where the Purple & Gold put the game out of reach with an eight spot. Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) got things started with a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Alyse Gutierrez (West Covina, Calif.) walked soon after and then moved up into scoring position on a double steal before a single down the left field line by Ashlyn Canchola (La Verne, Calif.) would bring across one run.
With nobody out, Blum would then sacrifice over both runners right before a single by Sarah Miller (Whittier, Calif.) to right field that brought in another.
Emi Shimamoto (Santa Clarita, Calif.) loaded the bases after being hit by a pitch and Mellano and Cundiff would then go back to back with singles that cleared the bases moving the score to 7-0. But WC wasn't done there as freshman Ahern stepped up again and went yard to right center that scored another three connecting on her SCIAC leading ninth homerun of the season.
Cundiff finished the day 2-3 with a run scored and three RBI's. Ahern was 1-2 with two runs scored and three RBI's along with a walk and Mellano was 1-2 with two runs scored a run batted in and a walk.
Blum went the full 5.0 innings for the perfect game with two strikeouts.
Game 2 (Whittier – 5, Occidental - 3)
Whittier jumped out in front in game two again capitalizing on a Tiger error, this time by the catcher. Oxy would threaten getting runners in scoring position over the next three innings but couldn't bring any across as Rachel Alhanati (Lake Forest, Calif.) would scatter four hits.
The Poets added another two in the third coming on a suicide squeeze by Cundiff that brought in Flores followed by an Ahern double to right field.
Oxy would finally find their first run of the day in the fourth striking for three hits, while getting the bases loaded and two outs forcing Alhanati out of the game. Blum would come in relief and would close the door over the next 3.1 innings earning the win.
Whittier extended their lead to 5-1 in the fifth with another double from Ahern that scored Cundiff and Mellano. Oxy mounted a comeback however in the seventh bringing across two runs and having the tying run at the plate but they wouldn't be able to come across as Blum would retire Samantha Yee and Alex Battest to secure the Poets 23rd win on the season.
Ahern was 2-3 with three runs batted in. Canchola was perfect 2-2 and Mellano was 1-3, while scoring twice.
Whittier returns to the diamond for their biggest weekend of the season as they travel to Thousand Oaks, Calif. on Friday, April 24 to take on the Regals with game times set for 2:00pm and 4:00pm. They then return home to Palmer Field on Saturday, April 25 for their senior day as they host Pomona-Pitzer looking to avenge their earlier losses they had. Game times set for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
