Box Score Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The Whittier College Baseball team put together a strong comeback Friday afternoon to jump-start a three-game series with Occidental College. But the final push would come up short as they would fall 5-4.
The Purple & Gold still seek their first conference win as they drop to 3-9, 0-4 SCIAC. Occidental on the other hand improves to 6-6, 1-0 SCIAC.
The difference in the game came in the opening at-bats for the Tigers who struck for four of their five runs on four hits, sparked by a two run shot from Andrade and a double from Netzel. This score would hold until the 4th when Whittier would put up two runs that cut the deficit in half. Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif.) and Jacob Bauer (Pleasanton, Calif.) would single-double to start things off. Bauer then moved to third on a wild pitch and would eventually come in to score on a Jarryd Samsing (Buckeye, AZ) single to third.
In the 7th, Oxy added the eventual game-winning run on a solo shot from Chong. Then in the 8th, the Poets put together their late comeback with another two runs coming in on three hits. Devon Robinson (Soquel, Calif.) and Alexander Jelloian (Chatsworth, Calif.) would put together back to back singles and Justin Ryan (Riverside, Calif.) would get hit by a pitch that loaded the bases. Goodman then drove in the pair with a single to left but that's all Whittier could gather as two flyouts and a pickoff would end the threat.
Cody Brown (Pinetop, AZ) was charged with the loss in his first start of the season. He went 0.2 Innings giving up four runs on four hits with a walk. In relief came Will Reader (San Francisco, Calif.) who was rock solid over the next six innings giving up just one run, while scattering seven hits. The Poets faced off against Oxy ace Nolan McCarthy who went 8.0 Innings giving up four runs on nine hits as he collected the win.
Goodman had a big day with a 2-for-4 effort with a run scored and two RBI's. Jelloian finished 2-for-4 scoring once and Bauer added a 1-for-4 effort with a run and RBI.
Whittier wraps up the series today, Saturday, March 7 when they host Occidental College for a twin bill.
