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Box Score 2 |
Box Score 3 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College baseball team handed Occidental College the three game series over the weekend after holding a lead in all three games only to fall 11-6, 8-5, and 10-7.
With the three losses the Poets drop to 5-12, 2-7 SCIAC.
Game 1 (L, 11-6)
The doubleheader was the first games of the series after the solo contest was rained out Friday, which was rescheduled for Sunday at 12:00pm.
Whittier struck first with a run in the top half of the second when Andrew Fierro (Riverside, Calif.) scored Jake Raynaud (Los Gatos, Calif.) with a groundout to the shortstop.
But Oxy would find their bats over the next two innings plating a combined six runs, capped off with a three run shot from Devon DeRaad.
Matthew Macey (Oceanside, Calif.) and Dmitri Washington (Peoria, AZ) would reach on fielder's choices in the 5th and 6th that brought across runs pulling the Purple & Gold within three but a three spot in the sixth and a pair coming across in the eighth for the Tigers helped push them to the game one victory.
Whittier attempted a comeback in the ninth. Brandon Mulrooney (Placentia, Calif.) led things off with a walk and Tanner Marcoe (Northridge, Calif.) followed with a single. Max Bradshaw (Salt Lake City, UT) would reach on a fielder's choice allowing Mulrooney to score and Mike San Angelo (Downey, Calif.) would come up and drive a single through the right side that brought in another two.
Marcoe finished the game 4-5 with a run scored. Raynaud and Dylan DeBrouwer (Manteca, Calif.) both registered two hits apiece.
Jacob Sween (Grass Valley, Calif.) earned the loss going just 2.2 innings giving up two runs on four hits.
Game 2 (L, 8-5)
For the second straight game Whittier added runs first bringing across three in the top half of the first getting after Tiger starter Scott Ericksen. Mulrooney doubled down the right field line and moved to third on a passed ball. Marcoe then singled to right bringing in the run. Macey then walked to put runners on first and second and Raynaud would single to third base loading the bases.
After a Bradshaw strikeout, DeBrouwer would walk bringing in a run and San Angelo would reach on a fielder's choice bringing in the third run.
Oxy got one back in the bottom half of the inning that cut the deficit to two but would take the lead two innings later in the third putting up three runs on two hits, which included an Eamon McNeil homerun to right.
The Purple & Gold bounced back the very next inning to regain the lead 5-4 with Marcoe singling to center that scored Washington and Andrew Lamar (Alta Loma, Calif.) but that lead wouldn't hold as Oxy would bring a run across each inning over the next four that propelled them to the come from behind win.
Nick Garcia (Anaheim, Calif.) (1-4) was charged with the loss going 6.0 innings giving up five earned runs on seven hits, while striking out eight.
Mulrooney in the lead-off spot finished 3-4 with a run scored, while Marcoe, Raynaud, and Lamar each recorded two hits apiece.
Game 3 (L, 10-7)
The solo game hosted by Whittier got moved to Sunday and the Poets continued where they left off offensively striking first with a four spot in the bottom half of the second.
It was a two out rally and the Poets capitalized on a Tiger error. Raynaud doubled down the left field line and Bradshaw reached on an error by the third baseman. Fierro walked to load the bases and was followed by Washington who walked to bring in the first Poet run. Mulrooney then worked a walk as well before a Marcoe single to left field would bring in the last Poet runs.
Raynaud struck again in the third with a solo shot to deep left center that moved the score to 5-1. This lead would hold until the seventh when the wheels fell off for Whittier as oxy struck for four runs on four hits, which tied the game up.
Whittier however rallied piecing together two runs on three hits with Washington and Marcoe singling in runs that put WC on top 7-5 heading into the ninth. But again the lead wouldn't hold as the Tigers would rally with five runs in the top half of the ninth to take a 10-7 lead, which they would hold to claim the sweep.
Marcoe was 2-4 with three runs batted in. Raynaud was 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBi and Lamar was 2-4 with a run scored.
Despite a strong start by Macey he earned the no decision as Justin Ushio (Mililani, HI) was tagged with his first loss of the season giving up four runs on three hits.
Whittier returns to their non-conference schedule this Wednesday, March 16 when they host Ithaca for a double header with game times set for 11:00am and 2:30pm.
