Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whittier College Baseball team returned to Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play Friday with a single game against Claremont-M-S.
The Purple & Gold fell behind early but managed to comeback only to see it fall short 6-4. Whittier drops now to 10-10, 2-5 SCIAC and now sits in a tie for 8th within the SCIAC Standings.
CMS jumped out in front 4-0 after the first two innings, highlighted by a three-spot in the 2nd. The Poets got two back in the 4th thanks to Mason Blansett (Lodi, Calif.) doubling to left field that plated Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif.) and Brandon Mulrooney (Placentia, Calif.). The Stags managed to add another in the bottom half of the frame and then moved the score to 6-2 with a single run in the 6th.
Whittier provided a scare in their final at-bats bringing across two in the 9th. Jacob Bauer (Pleasanton, Calif.) led things off with a single to left followed by back-to-back base knocks from Alexander Jelloian (Chatsworth, Calif.) and John Vuz (Blairstown, NJ) that loaded the bases. River Danner (Seal Beach, Calif.) kept the rally going with a single to center that scored two but those would be the lone runs brought across as Jacob DeLongchamp (Beaumont, Calif.) would strikeout looking and Mulrooney and Daniel Tuerffs (Yorba Linda, Calif.) each hitting into fielders choices that ended the threat.
Alex Baez (Chino Hills, Calif.) had a tough outing in the start lasting just 1.1 innings giving up four runs on two hits, walking five and striking out just one. He picks up the loss dropping to 4-3. Andrew Chavez (West Covina, Calif.) who came in relief had a strong game going the next 5.2 innings of long relief and gave up two runs on eight hits.
Blansett, Jelloian, and Vuz each finished 2-for-4 and Danner added the 1-for-2 effort with two RBI's.
Whittier wraps up the three game series with Claremont-M-S tomorrow, Saturday, March 30 with game times set for 11:00am and 2:30pm.
