Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Baseball team was able to come away with a split Saturday with Claremont-M-S falling 9-6 before edging the Stags 6-5.
The Purple & Gold now move to 11-11, 3-6 SCIAC.
Game 1 (L, 9-6)
Whittier got a quick run in the 2nd inning getting after Brandon Mitchell for three hits, which includes doubles from Jacob Bauer (Pleasanton, Calif.) and John Vuz (Blairstown, NJ) and a base hit from Alexander Jelloian (Chatsworth, Calif.).
After that though Whittier found it tough to get anything going against Mitchell over the next two innings falling behind 5-1 after four and a half. They got one back in the 5th coming on a Jarryd Samsing (Buckeye, AZ) double to left and a Brandon Mulrooney (Placentia, Calif.) single up the middle. CMS tacked on two in the 6th to extend the lead to 7-2 but the Poets didn't go away quietly as Vuz would porch a solo shot down the left field line that cut the deficit to four.
The Stags managed to add another two in the 7th to push the lead to 9-3 but that advantage wasn't safe as Whittier would bring across three in the 9th to provide a scare. Jack Silva (Katy, TX) got the rally started with a walk. Following a Samsing flyout, Mulrooney singled through the right side. The very next batter, Justin Ryan (Riverside, Calif.) would single through the right side bringing in one and then capping off the inning, Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif.) hammered a two-run shot to right center that pulled WC within three.
Tim Turpen (Chino Hills, Calif.) was charged with the loss going 5.0 innings giving up seven runs on eight hits. His relief Alex Escobar (Brea, Calif.) threw lights out the rest of the way giving up two unearned runs over the final 4.0 innings with two strikeouts.
Mulrooney finished 3-for-5 with an RBI. Goodman was 2-for-5 scoring once and driving in a pair and Vuz was 2-for-3 with a run scored and a run batted in.
Game 2 (W, 6-5)
The second game had late game heroics with the Purple & Gold winning on a walk-off to salvage the split. Whittier opened up the scoring in the 2nd when Jelloian reached on a fielder's choice plating Mason Blansett (Lodi, Calif.) who had reached on a single to left center.
CMS got it back however in the 3rd with two outs as Gavin would single to right center bringing in Nakahara. Both teams added two runs in the 5th that kept the game deadlocked. Whittier used two hits to score their two runs thanks to Daniel Tuerffs (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Goodman both singling to left field. Then in the 6th, Whittier went back on top by two off the bat of Jacob DeLongchamp (Beaumont, Calif.) who sent a two-run shot to left, capitalizing on a CMS miscue.
This lead wouldn't hold however as CMS' Motter would respond with his own two-run blast in the 7th that again tied things up. But in the end it was Whittier coming up clutch in the 9th. Mulrooney led off the inning with a single to right center and then moved up to second thanks to a Tuerffs bunt single. Goodman then loaded the bases with a walk and Blansett would capitalize on the bases loaded with a single to left field that sent the Poets to the walk off win.
Justin Kottinger (Stockton, Calif.) picked up the win throwing the final 2.1 innings giving up just three hits, while keeping the Stags off the scoreboard. He improves to 1-1.
Mulrooney and Tuerffs were each 2-for-5 on the game and both scored. Goodman was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Blansett was 2-for-4 scoring once and driving in another. DeLongchamp also added a 1-for-3 effort with two runs scored and two runs batted in.
