Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – It was a long Saturday for the Whittier College Softball team but they saw their losing streak end at five games following a split with George Fox University at Palmer Field.
The Purple & Gold had to battle the elements playing Game 1 in three and a half hours, which included a 45-minute rain delay and a 30-minute lightning delay. But Whittier was able to bounce back in game two to get the split and improve to 3-5.
Game 1 (L, 6-0)
Whittier found it tough to get their offense going in the first game as they were shutout for the second time on the season, while being held to just three hits. The difference in the game came in the 2nd where the Bruins put up all six of their runs on six hits.
This proved enough as the Purple & gold were held to just one hit over the next five innings. Riley Garcia (Fullerton, Calif.) was charged with the loss after going 1.1 Innings giving up five runs on six hits. Her relief in freshman Katelyn Calvetti (Monterey, Calif.) was lights out the rest of the way giving up just one run on two hits along with five strikeouts over the final 5.2 Innings.
Jannelle Ha (Arcadia, Calif.) had a multi-hit game going 2-for-3 in the leadoff spot. Naomi Martinez (Marina Del Rey, Calif.) gathered the other hit in a 1-for-2 effort.
Game 2 (W, 7-5)
The rain went away in the second game of the doubleheader but this time the Poets had to race to beat the daylight. After falling behind in the top half of the 1st Whittier responded with two in their opening at-bats stringing together a pair of hits and capitalizing on an error. Ha started the inning off with a single through the left side and after moving up to second came in to score following a throwing error by the third baseman that allowed Martinez to reach. Two batters later Emily Facio (Chino, Calif.) put runners on first and second after getting hit by a pitch and Brianna MaGee (Torrance, Calif.) would bring in the go-ahead run with a single to second base.
WC stretched their lead to 4-1 in the bottom half of the 2nd with Hannah Angileri (San Jose, Calif.) doubling to left field that plated Jade Sanchez (Whittier, Calif.) and Martinez doubling to right center that brought in Angileri.
In the 3rd, the Poets continued to tack on insurance with Facio getting hit by a pitch for a second time before being brought in due to an error by the shortstop. Leading 5-1 Whittier then put the game out of reach with another two in the 4th this time off the bat of Facio who doubled to left that plated Sofia Paniagua (Glendora, Calif.) and Ha.
After a scoreless 5th GFU mounted a comeback with three in the 6th thanks to a pair of homeruns from Kautz and Hunt. This made it a three-run game and it didn't stop there, as the Bruins would bring across another in the 7th to get within two before seeing their comeback fall short as the game was called due to darkness.
Amanda Melodia (Placentia, Calif.) collected the win after going 5.1 Innings giving up four runs on six hits. She also struck out three. Alexis Vargas (Pomona, Calif.) came in relief and shut down the Bruins over the final 1.1 Innings as she picked up her first save on the season.
Ha finished 2-for-4 scoring twice and Martinez was 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI's. Facio was 1-for-1 with a run scored, two RBI's and getting hit twice. Angileri finished 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI and MaGee had a 1-for-3 effort driving in one.
Whittier enters Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) play this Friday, February 28 when they host Claremont-M-S beginning at 1:00pm.
