Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team picked up their first sweep of 2017 as they took both Sunday afternoon 6-2 and 2-1 over Lewis & Clark.

The Purple & Gold move to 2-2 on the season, while Lewis & Clark drops to 0-4.

Game 1 (W, 6-2)

Whittier put up five runs in the first two innings and they didn't look back as they rolled to the 6-2 win in game one. 

Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) was able to reach first to open things up following an error by the shortstop and then moved up into scoring position with a wild pitch.  Sierra Rodriguez (Whittier, Calif.) then moved her over with a single through the left side and they then both came around to score after a Megan Troutman (Covina, Calif.) single.

Freshman Rebecca Barber (El Monte, Calif.) led off the second with a solo shot that extended the Poet lead to three.  Whitney then doubled to left center and was able to come around again but this time off the bat of Natalia Sanchez (Chino Hills, Calif.) who singled through the left side.

In the fourth, the Pioneers put together two runs on four hits forcing Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) out of the game but that put them up against sophomore Annika Seedborg (Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.)  who shut them down over the next 3.2 innings to pick up the victory. 

Blum went 3.1 innings and gave up just the two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. 

Whittier added insurance in the bottom half of the fourth bringing across one with Sanchez again singling through the left side scoring Brianna Alvarez (Montebello, Calif.).

Rodriguez finished the game 2-2 scoring twice.  Sanchez was 2-3 with two RBI's.  Troutman was 1-3 with two runs batted in and Whitney was 1-4 in the leadoff spot scoring twice.             

Game 2 (W, 2-1)

The second game was a pitcher's dual with a combined three runs being scored on 10 hits.  After two scoreless innings, the Pioneers added one in the third to go in front.  But that lead wouldn't hold as Whittier would tie things up in the bottom half of the inning. 

After two quick groundouts Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) drew a walk.  She was then brought in by Sanchez who doubled but would be gunned out trying to stretch it to a triple.

The very next inning Whittier would bring in the go ahead run as Kaitlyn Garza (Chino, Calif.) would single up the middle scoring Danica Cooley (Paia, HI) and that score would be good enough as Blum would shut down the Pio bats over the next three innings.

Blum went 7.0 complete giving up six runs with four strikeouts as she moves to 1-1.

Ahern was 1-2 with a run scored.  Sanchez was 1-3 with an RBI and Cat Manalo (Santa Ana, Calif.) was 1-1 with a run batted in.            

Whittier enters conference play this Saturday, February 18 as they host Cal Lutheran University with game times set for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.