Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

ORANGE, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team ended their four game losing skid Sunday evening as they split with Chapman University in a make-up doubleheader winning game one 9-2 before falling 7-1 in game two.

Despite losing five of their last six the Purple & Gold still see themselves in fourth place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings with a 15-17, 7-13 SCIAC record.

Game 1 (W, 9-2)

Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) took to the mound in game one and was lights out throwing a complete game giving up just two unearned runs on five hits as she picked up her eighth win of the season.

Whittier got on the scoreboard in the third inning as Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) would drive in Ally Fonseca (Pico Rivera, Calif.) with a sacrifice fly.  This lead would hold until the seventh when WC put up eight runs on five hits.  Megan Troutman (Chino, Calif.) got things started with a single through the left side and was moved over following a sacrifice bunt by Fonseca.  

That's when the flood gates opened.  Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) doubled to left center driving in Hailey Mollno (Glendora, Calif.).  Kaitlyn Garza (Chino, Calif.) was then hit by a pitch and Ahern and Sarah Crawford (San Diego, Calif.) would double up with back to back hits.

The Poets weren't done there as Natalia Sanchez (Chino Hills, Calif.) and Megan Heal (San Jose, Calif.) both walked in front of Madison Crimi-Demichele (San Jose, Calif.) who reached on a fielder's choice.  Troutman came up again and singled up the middle scoring another and was followed by three walks by Fonseca, Whitney, and Nicole Briedis (San Mateo, Calif.) that helped give the Poets a huge lead.

Chapman managed to get two in the bottom half of the seventh capitalizing on an error but it wouldn't be enough as Whittier would roll to the lopsided victory. 

Whitney led the offense at the top of the lineup finishing 3-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in.  Sanchez was 2-3 with a run scored and Troutman was 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI.             

Game 2 (L, 7-1)

The second game the Poets offense was held in check being limited by Panther starter Natalie Both who went a complete game.  Crawford got the Purple & Gold on the scoreboard in the top half of the first doubling to left center that plated Garza but that would be the only run generated as Chapman would go on to tie things up in the bottom half of the frame before adding six runs over the next five innings.

Rachel Alhanati (Lake Forest, Calif.) got the start and went just 2.2 innings giving up two runs on six hits earning the loss.  Crawford finished the game 3-3 with an RBI and Garza was 1-3 with a run scored.    

Whittier looks to get revenge on the Panthers tomorrow, Friday, April 22 as they host Chapman with a doubleheader with game times slated for 2:00pm and 4:00pm.