Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Mar. 2, 2022) – The Whittier College baseball team flashed some power against visiting Bridgewater College on Wednesday afternoon, with a grand slam from senior outfielder Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif. / Redwood) standing out among the Poets' three home runs.

Whittier played its second game in as many days and responded well, with Head Coach Mike Rizzo shuffling the lineup to offer extra opportunities up and down the lineup. The offense found a groove over the final three innings, with Goodman's grand slam providing a needed spark to the Poets' offense. The home run, a towering shot, cleared the bases, scoring outfielders River Danner (Seal Beach, Calif. / Los Alamitos) and James Stirton (Cerritos, Calif. / Valley Christian) as well as lead-off hitter Nate Sherman (Ventura, Calif. / Buena). The home run may be the breakthrough the senior needs, as well as the rest of the team to sustain offensive success. Two more long balls followed for the home team in the eighth inning, both hard-hit shots that easily cleared the left-field fence. Senior first baseman Mike Hernandez (Stockton, Calif. / Edison) took his turn first, followed by junior pinch-hitter Troy Grossman (Vista, Calif. / Vista) just two batters later against one of the Eagles' top relievers. Collectively, the Poets totaled nine hits with six of them coming between Goodman, Hernandez and Sherman, who is now 7-for-12 through his last three games.

Senior Jared Vuz (Blairstown, N.J. / North Warren Regional) toed the rubber for the Poets for the first time this season and impressed through three innings by holding the Eagles to just one run while pitching to contact along the way. Vuz was not the only Poets' pitcher to impress, however. Senior right-hander Cody Brown (Pinetop, Ariz. / Blue Ridge) nearly retired the side in the seventh inning using the fewest possible number of pitches, needing only two to force the Eagles into two outs to start the inning. The senior would go on to retire the side in order, however in his only inning of work.

Rizzo and the Poets will have an opportunity to get into the win column for the first time this year against a SCIAC foe when they battle Caltech over a three-game weekend series. The Poets will first host the Beavers on Friday, Mar. 4 at 2:30 p.m.

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