Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (Feb. 25, 2022) – Senior catcher Mike Hernandez (Stockton, Calif. / Edison) of the Whittier College baseball team continued to swing a hot bat when the Poets traveled to Occidental College for their 2022 SCIAC debut on Friday afternoon.

Hernandez connected on his first home run of the season, a solo shot in the sixth inning that trimmed an already narrow Occidental lead down to just one run, and from there, the Poets' pitching held up well to match. Senior pitcher Thomas Lyle-Temple (San Diego, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic) led the Poets through nearly five innings of work, where limited the damage – and baserunners while striking out three Tigers. Classmate Andrew Chavez (West Covina, Calif. / South Hills) took it from there, throwing a pair of pristine innings to, along with Lyle-Temple, provide the Poets with one of their strongest stretches of pitching of the young season.

Offensively, the Poets did all they could to give the Tigers a run for their money. Following the sixth-inning home run, Hernandez returned to the batter's box to deliver a single into center field that brought pinch-runner Jack Babitz (Golden, Colo. / Golden) home for the game-tying run. Moments later, Hernandez would make the trip around the basepaths himself, scoring the go-ahead run on a double into left center field from pinch-hitter Ian Watanabe (Lodi, Calif. / Lodi). The senior catcher would finish the day 3-for-4 with two RBI's, two runs to go with the home run. However, the home team would strike back in the bottom frame, meaning the Poets will have to wait a bit longer before celebrating their first SCIAC victory of the season.

Head Coach Mike Rizzo and the Poets will see the Tigers again tomorrow for a doubleheader, beginning at 11 a.m.

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