Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team stopped their four game losing skid Saturday as they came away with a split against Occidental College at Palmer Field.
The Purple & Gold held on for the 3-2 win in game one before falling 11-6 in the second contest. With the split the Poets move to 11-15, 7-7 SCIAC and 4th in the SCIAC Standings.
Game 1 (W, 3-2)
The first game of the doubleheader was a pitcher's duel with a combined five runs being scored. Oxy got out in front with an early run in the 1st capitalizing on an error but the Poets wouldn't trail for long as they would rally with three runs over the next two innings, which proved enough.
Rebecca Barber (El Monte, Calif.) drove in the first with a sacrifice fly in the 2nd and Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) and Natalia Sanchez (Chino Hills, Calif.) would combo with a single up the middle and a double to right center that plated another two.
The next three innings went scoreless until the 7th when Oxy threatened. They brought one across coming on an error by the right fielder to cut the deficit to one but they would leave runners on second and third as Battest would ground out.
Whittier was outhit for the game 11-5 and totaled three errors on the day but still came away with the game one victory. Whitney finished 1-2 with a run scored and a run batted in, while Sanchez was 1-3 scoring once with an RBI.
Samantha Blum (San Jose, Calif.) picked up the win and improves to 6-6 going a complete game giving up two unearned runs on 11 hits.
Game 2 (L, 11-6)
The Tigers continued to hit the ball in the second game adding another 21 hits to their afternoon. The Poets got on the scoreboard in the 2nd thanks to freshman Hayley Wishner (Chino, Calif.) going yard for her first collegiate homerun.
But that would be the last time the Purple & Gold would lead as the Tigers would put up four in the 3rd and another five in the 4th that put the game out of reach. Sanchez homered in the 3rd that pulled WC within one at 4-3 but the next runs wouldn't come across until the 7th when WC managed three on four hits.
Wishner came up big with a single through the right side and Kalei Guillermo (Aiea, HI) would then triple to right center that plated the final two runs all coming with nobody out. But the rally ended as Dallas Boyce would come in to shut down the side.
Wishner finished 3-4 with two runs scored and two runs batted in. Sanchez was 2-4 scoring once along with two RBI's and Whitney was 2-4 scoring once.
Annika Seedborg (Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.) got tagged with the loss going 3.1 innings giving up six runs on 10 hits. Blum came in relief but was also hit hard going 3.2 innings giving up five runs on 11 hits.
Whittier travels for a doubleheader this Saturday, April 8 as they take on Cal Lutheran University beginning at 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
