Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team picked up a much needed sweep Saturday on the road as they cruised past Occidental College 11-4 and 3-2.
They have won three in a row and improve to 14-9-1, 7-5 SCIAC and currently sit in 5th place in the SCIAC Standings.
Game 1 (W, 11-4)
The first game was lopsided with the Purple & Gold pouring on 11 runs on 13 hits. They went on top 3-0 in the top half of the first behind doubles from Marialena Ahern (Fremont, Calif.) and Brittany Attaway (Claremont, Calif.). But the Tigers would come back in the bottom half of the frame with two of their own to cut the deficit to one.
After a scoreless 2nd, both teams tacked on two runs in the 3rd. Whittier capitalized on a Tiger miscue with Alli Fonseca (Pico Rivera, Calif.) reaching on an error by the first baseman and then Jannelle Ha (Arcadia, Calif.) would step in and single to left that moved the score to 5-2.
The game remained a one-run contest until the 5th when Whittier opened the game up adding six runs over the final three innings. Natalia Sanchez (Chino Hills, Calif.) came up clutch with a pinch-hit single in the 5th driving in Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.). Whitney then returned the favor the very next inning doubling to left that brought in Attaway and Hannah Angileri (San Jose, Calif.).
Then in the 7th, Whittier put the game out of reach with Monique Amaro (Whittier, Calif.) driving in Danica Cooley (Paia, HI) and Ha with a single to right and Jade Sanchez (Whittier, Calif.) driving in Kaitlyn Garza (Chino, Calif.) putting the finishing touches on the lopsided contest.
Sam Casanas (La Habra, Calif.) threw a complete game picking up her third win on the season. She gave up four runs (two earned) on six hits. Sanchez finished 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Whitney was 2-5 scoring once and two runs batted in. Attaway was 1-3 with two runs scored and two RBI's, while walking twice. Ahern was 2-3 on the day and Ha was 2-2 with a run scored and an RBI.
Game 2 (W, 3-2)
The second game of the doubleheader was a low scoring affair with a combined five runs being scored. The Poets tacked on runs over the first two innings. Sanchez drove in Garza with a sacrifice fly in the top half of the first and Garza returned the very next inning laying down a sacrifice bunt that plated Fonseca.
Whittier added their third and final run in the 6th with Hayley Wishner (Chino, Calif.) singling to left that scored Ha and this run proved crucial as Oxy would come back with two of their own in the bottom half of the frame to cut the deficit to one.
The Tigers had an opportunity to tie the game up in the 7th, getting a runner in scoring position but freshman Amanda Melodia (Placentia, Calif.) was able to induce a lineout and a strikeout to pick up her fifth win on the season. She threw a complete game giving up two runs on eight hits.
Sierra Rodriguez (Whittier, Calif.) had a breakout game going 3-4. Wishner was 2-2 with an RBI and Ahern, Attaway, and Amaro each recorded hits.
Whittier puts on their Strikeout Cancer event this Saturday, April 7 when they host Claremont-M-S beginning at 12:00pm and 2:00pm. They then return the next day, Sunday, April 8 to host Chapman University with first pitches slated for 12:00pm and 2:00pm.
