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Box Score 3 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Baseball team is off and running as they picked up their first sweep this season taking three from Caltech over the weekend, while winning their fifth straight.
Prior to the games on Saturday Head Coach Mike Rizzo sent his seniors off in impressive fashion, which included Dylan DeBrouwer (Manteca, Calif.), Armando Valdez (Whittier, Calif.), Max Bradshaw (Salt Lake City, UT), Nick Garcia (Anaheim, Calif.), and Ketchum Marsh (Bradenton, FL).
Whittier currently sits in fifth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings with a 12-20, 9-12 SCIAC record and have seven games remaining on their schedule with a shot to make the SCIAC Post Season Tournament.
Game 1 (W, 16-7)
Whittier got off to a slow start on Friday seeing the Beavers jump out 2-0 in the 5th. The Purple & Gold put up a big six spot the very next inning and didn't look back. Andrew Fierro (Riverside, Calif.) flied out to right field with a sacrifice fly that brought in Jake Raynaud (Los Gatos, Calif.). Tanner Marcoe (Northridge, Calif.) scored on a passed ball and Bradshaw came in following a single by Dmitri Washington (Peoria, AZ).
The Poets weren't done there Matthew Macey (Oceanside, Calif.) walked scoring another and Raynaud singled through the left side that plated another two.
In the bottom half of the fifth, two more Beaver runs came around to score that made the score 6-4 but that's as close as CIT would get as Whittier would put up 10 runs over the next three innings that silenced the crowd.
In the eighth, Macey capped off the scoring with a three-run blast to deep left and in the ninth, Whittier's Bradshaw, Andrew Lamar (Alta Loma, Calif.), Washington, and Macey strung together five runs on five hits that finished the game.
Bradshaw finished the game 2-4 with three runs scored. Macey was 2-5 with a run scored and five runs batted in and Raynaud was 2-6 with a run scored and two RBI's.
Tim Turpen (Chino Hills, Calif.) picked up the win improving to 2-3 going eight innings strong giving up four runs on eight hits, while striking out five.
Game 2 (W, 9-5)
Whittier struck first in game one of the doubleheader as Bradshaw scored DeBrouwer on a sacrifice fly. Caltech added two in the top half of the fourth off the bat of Mark Burleson who doubled in a pair of runs and would take a 3-2 lead the very inning.
The Purple & Gold deadlocked the game at 3-3 in the bottom half of the fifth as Marcoe would bring in DeBrouwer with a sacrifice fly before Max Morohashi (Encino, Calif.) would drive a single up the middle bringing in Macey.
Whittier broke the tie in the seventh with a two spot with Marcoe reaching on an error that plated Macey and Bradshaw doubled in Marcoe that made the score 5-3.
In the eighth, the Poets put the game out of reach bringing across four runs on three hits, which included a two run blast from Raynaud to left and despite WC giving up two runs in the ninth, they were able to come away with the win 9-5.
Raynaud finished 4-5 with a run scored and two RBI's. DeBrouwer was 3-5 with three runs scored and Macey was 3-4 scoring three times.
Garcia threw a complete game picking up his fourth win of the season giving up five runs on six hits, while striking out six.
Game 3 (W, 5-2)
Bradshaw opened the second game up with a solo shot to left in the 2nd. Caltech answered with two of their own the very next inning to go in front 2-1 but that lead wouldn't hold as Mason Blansett (Lodi, Calif.) would come across on a double steal that tied the game up in the bottom half of the third.
In the 5th, Valdez provided a single that scored two and Bradshaw would put the game on ice in the 8th reaching on an error by the second baseman allowing Marcoe to score.
Bradshaw finished 2-4 with a run scored and a run batted in, while Blansett was 1-2 scoring twice.
Macey picked up the win going eight innings giving up two runs on nine hits, while striking out nine and Alex Baez (Chino Hills, Calif.) picked up his first save of the season.
Whittier opens a three game series with Claremont-M-S this weekend with playoff implications on the line, hosting them this Friday, April 22 beginning at 3:00pm before traveling to Claremont, Calif. for a doubleheader the next day, April 23 with game times slated for 11:00am and 2:30pm.
