Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
WHITTIER, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team continued where they left off from 2019 following a berth into the NCAA Division III National Championships by sweeping the University of Puget Sound Saturday, 5-4 and 11-3.
The Purple & Gold move to 2-0, while Puget Sound drops to 0-3. The Loggers on their trip down to Southern California have faced tough conditions only being able to play three out of six games.
Game 1 (W, 5-4)
Whittier jumped all over the Loggers in game one. They went ahead in the bottom half of the 1st with Jannelle Ha (Arcadia, Calif.) driving in Sammy Corona (San Dimas, Calif.) with a single to right field. UPS would tie things up in the 3rd with a double off the bat of Colombo, but again WC was able to rally with a three spot in the bottom half. Brianna MaGee (Torrance, Calif.) started things off reaching on an error by the first baseman and moved up to second following a sacrifice bunt from Sierra Rodriguez (Whittier, Calif.). Corona would then walk to put runners on 1st and 2nd and Ha drove them in with a three-run shot.
In the 5th and 6th the Loggers rallied again with three runs that tied things up at 4-4. But in the bottom half of the 6th, sophomore Emily Facio (Chino, Calif.) came up clutch with a double to left center that scored Jade Sanchez (Whittier, Calif.) who reached prior on her own double to right center.
This run proved enough as Riley Garcia (Fullerton, Calif.) would shut the door on UPS in the 7th going 1-2-3 as she would pick up her first win of her career.
Ha finished 2-for-2 with a run scored and four RBI's. She also drew a walk. Facio was perfect on the game going 3-for-3 with an RBI and both Sanchez and Hannah Angileri (San Jose, Calif.) were both 1-for-3.
Game 2 (W, 11-3; 5 Innings)
Puget Sound had a strong start to game two putting up three runs on two hits, while capitalizing on an error. But these would be the only runs they would bring across as senior Sam Casanas (La Habra, Calif.) would shut them out over the next four innings.
Casanas would collect the win going a complete game giving up three runs (one earned) on seven hits to go with two walks.
After being held scoreless over the first two innings the Poets would open things up with a three spot in the bottom half of the 3rd. Angileri, MaGee, and Rodriguez would put together back-to-back-to-back singles that loaded the bases. Ha and Naomi Martinez (Marina Del Rey, Calif.) would then each reach on errors after that, which brought in a couple and Hayley Wishner (Chino, Calif.) would cap it off with a single to right.
Then in the 4th the game was put out of reach with WC bringing across an eight spot on six hits. Sanchez and Angileri started things off with singles. After a pitching change MaGee drove one up the middle that scored one and Rodriguez would then follow singling down the left field line that loaded the bases. Corona then drew an RBI walk and Ha drove in another with a grounder to the first baseman. Then with two outs the floodgates opened with Facio singling down the right field line, Sanchez getting hit by a pitch and Angileri tripling to left center that cleared the bases.
Angileri finished with a 3-for-3 effort scoring twice and driving in three. MaGee and Rodriguez were each 2-for-3 combining for four runs scored and an RBI. Facio was 1-for-2 scoring once and driving in a pair and Sanchez was 1-for-2 coming across twice.
Whittier has a week and a half off before returning to the diamond to host No. 24 Brandeis University, Wednesday, February 19 with game times set for 12pm and 2pm.
