Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College softball team came away with a split Monday afternoon against George Fox University winning game one 5-2 before dropping in six innings 8-1 due to darkness.

Whittier remains at .500 as they move to 5-5, 0-2 SCIAC, while George Fox improved to 3-1.

Game 1 (W, 5-2)

Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) bounced back after a tough outing against Cal Lutheran over the weekend to shut down the Bruin bats in game one.   She went a complete game giving up one earned run on just three hits picking up third win on the season.

Whittier gave Blum an early lead in the bottom half of the first coming on a solo shot from Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) to dead center.

George Fox returned the favor in the top half of the third when Kimi Ito hammered a solo shot to center that tied the game up but that would be the last run scored until the seventh for the Bruins.

The Purple & Gold brought around three in the bottom half of the fourth that opened the game up.  Natalia Sanchez (Chino Hills, Calif.) led things off with a walk and Megan Troutman (Covina, Calif.) followed with a single up the middle.  Cat Manalo (Santa Ana, Calif.) kept the rally going with a single through the left side that loaded the bases and after an ensuing wild pitch the bases would clear as the Bruin catcher would throw away the ball down the first baseline.

But Whittier wasn't done there as Megan Heal (San Jose, Calif.) got into the mix the very next inning sending one over the center field fence for her second home run of the season that put WC in front 5-1.

In the top half of the seventh, GFU rallied with two outs getting the bases loaded.  Tawny Becker drew a walk that brought in one but Blum was able to settle down retiring Kayla Anderson with a foul out to the shortstop. 

Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) in the leadoff spot collected two hits.  Manalo was 1-1 with a run scored and Ahern and heal both finished 1-4 each recording a run scored and a run batted in.           

Game 2 (L, 8-1) 

Rachel Alhanati (Lake Forest, Calif.) got the nod in game two but struggled going just 2.1 innings giving up five earned runs on six hits.

Courtney Howard led things off for GFU with a solo shot in the top half of the second but Whittier bounced back to tie up the game in their half of the inning with Troutman beating out a double play ball up the middle allowing Ally Fonseca (Pico Rivera, Calif.) to score.

This would be the lone Poet run that came across as six runs would get plated over the next two innings for the Bruins that opened the game up.  Blum came in relief and gave up three runs with just one being earned on five hits.  Whitney was 2-3 for the game and Heal and Sanchez recorded the other two hits.         

Whittier returns to their conference schedule this Saturday, February 27 when they host the University of Redlands with game times set for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.