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Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team earned the program's first Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Post Season Tournament Title Saturday as seniors Samantha Mellano (Fullerton, Calif.) and Mercedes Cundiff (Rowland, Calif.) hit back to back homeruns in game two that propelled the Poets to the 6-4 victory over Claremont-M-S.
The Purple & Gold came into the second day of the tournament 2-0 with a come from behind 4-2 victory against Cal Lutheran University and a 1-0 victory over Claremont-M-S.
After suffering a tough 1-0 loss in the first game against CMS, WC was forced to go to the deciding contest where they came from trailing 4-0 to win 6-4 with the game winning runs coming in the seventh. Whittier finishes the regular season 28-16, 19-9 SCIAC and is one win off the single season wins record, which is 29, set by the 1986 team coached by Robert Giomi. That year they finished 29-12.
Game 1 (Whittier – 4, Cal Lutheran – 2)
The No. 1 seeded Poets took on No. 4 Cal Lutheran in game one of the tournament. This proved to be a pitchers dual between Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.), the top pitcher in the conference and Courtney Sooy.
The Poets got on the board first capitalizing on a dropped popup by the shortstop allowing Alexandra Flores (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) to score. But in the second, CLU would bring across a pair thanks to a double down the left field line from Amanda Lewis and a single from Ryanna Morua.
The bats fell quiet for both teams over the next three frames until the Poets tied up the game in the sixth. Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) and Alyse Gutierrez (West Covina, Calif.) got things started with walks. Blum reached on an error by the third baseman that loaded the bases and freshman Karina Silva came through with her biggest hit of her young career to right field.
Then in the seventh, WC would find themselves with a runner on first after a single from Mellano with just one out but Cundiff would seal the deal as she would porch one down the left field line for a walk off two run blast that secured the game one victory for Whittier.
Blum picked up her 21st win improving to 21-5 going 7.0 innings giving up two runs on five hits. Cundiff was 2-4 for the game with a run scored and two runs batted in.
Game 2 (Whittier – 1, Claremont-M-S – 0)
In the nightcap, Whittier found themselves matched up with No. 3 Claremont-M-S who held off No. 2 La Verne in the second game 6-5. This game again was a pitchers dual with Blum and Anna Gurr going at it.
Both teams combined for five hits with four coming from Whittier. Blum one hit the Athena's and got the lead she needed in the sixth. Flores led off the inning with a single to third. Emi Shimamoto (Santa Clarita, Calif.) followed reaching on a fielders choice before stealing second and was later driven in by a Mellano single through the left side.
The most promising inning for the Athenas was in the fourth when Elaine Wang reached on a throwing error by Blum before stealing second. Carly Roleder walked but they would both end up being stranded as Blum would induce two pop fly's and a grounder that ended the threat.
This is all Blum needed as she would close out CMS in the seventh 1-2-3 picking up her 22nd win on the season.
Game 3 (Claremont-M-S – 1, Whittier – 0)
CMS was forced to play the first game of day two of the SCIAC Post Season Tournament taking out CLU in five innings winning 9-1. Carrying that momentum they would put together a strong performance in the second match-up against the Poets.
It was yet another dual between Blum and Gurr, but Gurr managed to come away with the shutout. Flores led off the first with a double to right center and was sacrificed over to third. Mellano looked to drive her in with a grounder to short, but the throw home would be in time to get the senior second baseman ending the early threat.
CMS would respond the very next inning getting runners on second and third with one out but like Whittier was unable to bring them in as Blum would get Mikayla O'Neal to fly out and Carly Roberts to groundout.
After two 1-2-3 innings for both teams, Whittier looked like they would finally bring a run across in the fourth. Shimamoto singled down the left field line and Mellano moved her up to second with a sacrifice bunt. Cundiff would then groundout to the shortstop and Ahern would be intentionally walked that put runners on the corners but Gutierrez would groundout that ended the threat.
Shannon O'Neill would lead off the sixth with a double to left and would be moved over to third eventually scoring on a hit and run by Elaine Wang.
That's all Gurr needed as she would shut down the Poet offense in the seventh holding WC to just four hits over seven innings en route to her 13th win on the season.
Game 4 (Whittier – 6, Claremont-M-S – 4)
In the Championship Game, Whittier saw themselves trailing early 4-0 after a Katie Savard three run shot to straight away center and a single from Wang down the left field line. But the Poets were persistent and remained calm waiting for their opportunity, which came in the fourth when Gutierrez doubled down the left field line that scored Ahern.
Trailing 4-1, the Poets got another three the very next inning coming on three hits that tied up the game bringing the Poet faithful to their feet. Sarah Miller (Vista, Calif.) was the first baserunner getting hit on the elbow and Ashlyn Canchola (La Verne, Calif.) followed with a single to right. Shimamoto then stepped up and reached on a fielders choice and with two outs and runners on the corners Whittier would rally with a Mellano single through the left side and then a Cundiff single up the middle.
CMS would get the go ahead run in scoring position in the sixth with Melanie Carlson moving up Savard who picked up a single to left, but she would be stranded as Briana Halle would ground out to the first baseman followed by a strikeout from O'Neal.
In the seventh, Flores and Shimamoto recorded the first two outs and extra innings looked more promising but Mellano and Cundiff would put on a show wrapping up their final home game of their career in impressive fashion with back to back solo shots to center field that put the Purple & Gold on top 6-4.
Then with the Poet crowd on their feet, Blum would come out in the bottom half of the inning retiring Roberts, O'Neil, and Robinson that gave WC the victory sending them into the NCAA Division III West Regional.
Blum picked up her third win of the tournament going 7.0 innings giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out three. Mellano was 2-4 with a run scored and two RBI's and Cundiff was 2-4 with a run scored and three runs batted in.
Whittier awaits the draw for the West region as they begin preparations for the first round of play, which will occur later in the week.
