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Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – Head Softball Coach Trisha Senyo faced off against her alma mater Saturday in a doubleheader at Palmer Field as the Whittier College Softball team came away with a split with the University of La Verne.
The Purple & Gold pushed the top ranked Leopards and had an opportunity to come away with the biggest sweep on the season but saw a late lead slip away in game one. The Poets move to 12-9-1, 5-5 SCIAC and currently sit 4th in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings.
Game 1 (L, 9-6)
The Poets surprised the Leopards in game one. Despite trailing 2-0 after the opening frame, WC fought back to cut the deficit in half in the 3rd with Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) singling in Hayley Wishner (Chino, Calif.) who was hit by a pitch earlier.
ULV extended their lead to 4-1 in the top half of the fourth but that lead soon diminished as Whittier put up a four spot in the bottom half of the frame with Alli Fonseca (Pico Rivera, Calif.) blasting a solo shot to left center followed by a three run blast from Wishner to left that put WC on top 5-4.
Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) brought in insurance in the 5th with a single to center that scored Brittany Attaway (Claremont, Calif.). But this lead wouldn't hold for the Purple & Gold as ULV would rally in the 7th to win game one bringing across five runs sparked by a three run homerun from DeAngelo.
Alexis Vargas (Pomona, Calif.) was charged with the loss going just .1 innings surrendering that deadly three-run homerun. Wishner finished 2-2 scoring twice and driving in three. Whitney was 2-3 with a run scored and a run batted in and Attaway was 2-3 scoring once.
Game 2 (W, 9-4)
Whittier was able to regroup in game two putting up nine runs on 10 hits. They jumped on top 3-0 over the first two innings with Ahern connecting on a sacrifice fly in the 1st followed by a Jannelle Ha (Arcadia, Calif.) double to center and a Kaitlyn Garza (Chino, Calif.) single to right in the 2nd.
La Verne got two back in the 3rd with Rojo homering to left center that cut the deficit to one but Whittier was able to get one back in the bottom half of the frame with Attaway doubling to left center.
ULV tied things up in the 5th but again WC was able to counter this time with a five-spot in the bottom half of the frame coming on two hits, while capitalizing on three errors and this proved enough as Amanda Melodia (Placentia, Calif.) would cut down the Leos offense over the final two innings to pick up the complete game victory.
Melodia improves to 4-4 on the season after going 7.0 innings strong giving up four runs (three earned) on eight hits.
Whitney finished 2-3 scoring twice and driving in another. Attaway was 2-3 with two RBI's and Garza was 2-4 at the top with a run scored and three RBI's.
Whittier travels this Saturday, March 31 to take on Occidental College with game times set for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
