Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. – It was a long day at the diamond Saturday but the Whittier College Baseball team was able to pull out the twinbill slugfest over Pacific University 14-12 and 6-5.

With the sweep the Poets improve to 2-1, while Pacific drops to 0-3. 

Game 1 (W, 14-12)

The opening game of the doubleheader totaled three and a half hours, a combined 27 hits and nine errors.  The Poets saw themselves trailing on two different occasions at 6-0 and then 9-5, but was able to overcome both deficits en route to the come from behind win. 

Austin Correia (San Diego, Calif.) got the start and wasn't able to get through the first inning giving up six runs on three hits.  Six pitchers came in relief after that combining for another six runs with freshman Arturo Escandon (Monterey Park, Calif.) collecting his first career win, while Jacob Bauer (Pleasanton, Calif.) found himself holding the fort down with his first career save.

Seeing themselves down 6-0 after the opening at-bats, the Poets fought back with three of their own in the bottom half of the 1^st.  Devon Robinson (Soquel, Calif.) started the inning off with a double down the left field line and two batters later Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif.) then reached on an error by the first baseman.  With two outs WC then rallied with Alex Jelloian (Chatsworth, Calif.) singling to left that plated one and Mike Hernandez (Stockton, Calif.) then loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch.  Then steps in senior Brandon Lara-Mack (San Gabriel, Calif.) who pulls a two-run single down the left field line that cut the deficit in half.

After a scoreless 2^nd, Whittier tacked on another two in the 3^rd.  An error by the third baseman allowed Jelloian to reach and Hernandez moved him over with a single through the left side.  Lara-Mack then laid down a bunt single and due to a throwing error Jelloian was able to come in and score.  Two batters later Justin Ryan (Riverside, Calif.) put a ball right up the middle that scored another moving the score to 6-5. 

Pacific got three back in the top half of the 4^th behind a two-run shot from Hara and a solo shot from Anderson.  Then in the bottom half of the inning Whittier was able to get one back with Bauer doubling to left center and coming in after Hernandez reached due to an error by the shortstop.  After stopping the high-powered Boxer bats in the 5^th, the Poets took their first lead of the game in the bottom half of the frame with five runs on four hits.  Robinson started things off with a walk and moved up to second on a wild pitch.  Following two consecutive fly balls Whittier opened things up with three straight singles from Bauer, Jelloian, and Hernandez.  Lara-Mack then drew a walk that brought in one and was followed by a Logan Brett (Rossmoor, Calif.) walk and a Ryan single to right. 

This put WC on top 11-9, a lead they wouldn't relinquish.  Pacific attempted a comeback with one in the 6^th, but a three run 7^th by the Poets would put the game out of reach.  In that frame, Jelloian started things off with a single and was followed by a Hernandez double to right center, a Lara-Mack single to right and a Ryan base knock through the right side. 

This moved the score to 14-10 and even though the Boxers would rally in the 9^th with two runs on three hits Bauer was able to hold the win forcing a lineout and a flyout. 

Lara-Mack was a perfect 4-for-4 on the day scoring twice and driving in four with a walk.  Jelloian was 3-for-5 coming in four times and driving in another and Hernandez was 3-for-4 getting plated three times, while driving in two.     

Game 2 (W, 6-5 | 5 Innings) 

The second game was going to be tough to get in all nine with the first pitch being sent at 3:15pm.  Both teams scored runs in the opening frame.  Pacific got a solo shot from Anderson and Whittier saw Hernandez put together a two out single up the middle that scored Sean Fassler (Claremont, Calif.).  In the 2^nd, Pacific added another run but saw WC string together three runs on two hits in the bottom half to take a 4-2 lead.  An error and a passed ball allowed one run to come in and Goodman would plate the other two with a single to left center.

The boxers regained the lead in the 3^rd with a three-spot, again coming off the bat of Anderson who sent a three-run shot to left field.  After a scoreless 4^th, Whittier was able to get their offense back going in the 5^th with the eventual walk-off runs.  Hernandez and Lara-Mack started the inning off getting hit by a pitch.  Anthony Stiriti (Pleasanton, Calif.) then singled up the middle driving in one and due to an errant throw was able to go all the way to third, with the walk-off run coming in as well.

The game was then called due to darkness after that with the Poets clinching the twinbill sweep. 

Jared Vuz (Blairstown, NJ) who came in relief threw the final 2.0 Innings giving up just one hit, while picking up his first career win.  Jarryd Samsing (Buckeye, AZ) was 1-for-3 on the game with two RBI's and Hernandez was 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI.  Goodman also added a 1-for-3 effort with two RBI's.