Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

WHITTIER, Calif. (Mar. 5, 2022) – Sophomore Cam Gray (Bloomington, Ind. / Bloomington North) of the Whittier College baseball team hit two home runs and led the Poets to their first victory of the 2022 season, SCIAC or otherwise against Caltech on Friday afternoon in the first of a three-game weekend series.

Friday: Whittier 11, Caltech 7

The first game of the series saw the Poets put together a complete, well-rounded offensive performance that featured a little bit of everything with the pitching being just good enough to shut down the Beavers in the key moments. Although the Beavers would remain a constant presence all game as far as scratching runs across was concerned, it would be Gray, who started in right field for the first time this season who lifted the Poets with a pair of early-game home runs, both to left field off the Beavers' starting lefty. Both home runs were equally impressive from a distance standpoint, though Gray needed to rally from falling behind early in the count before taking a proverbial sledgehammer to the Poets' hopes of a Friday victory. His second home run, a three-run shot, scored teammates Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif. / Ramona) and James Stirton (Cerritos, Calif. / Valley Christian) and gave the Poets a 5-2 lead through three innings.

Earlier in the game, senior catcher Mike Hernandez (Stockton, Calif. / Edison) stole home on a heads-up play where he caught the Beavers sleeping on an otherwise routine play, which closely followed Gray's first dinger of the game, a solo shot. Such big early-game moments would carry the Poets, and getting some quality pitching to open the game certainly didn't hurt. Sophomore righty Teige Barrett (San Diego, Calif. / Mira Mesa) got the starting nod for the Poets and proved to be wildly effective, striking out six Caltech players over three innings of work. As the two teams exchanged blows in the late game, freshman Elijah Paner (Los Angeles, Calif. / Eagle Rock) became the benefactor of one last surge from the Whittier offense in the seventh inning, where the Poets scored four runs through the capitalization on some costly mistakes from the Beavers. Senior third baseman Jared Vuz (Blairstown, N.J. / North Warren Regional), who actually knocked in the go-ahead runs in the sixth inning, was also one of four Poets to cross home plate in the seventh, giving Paner enough of a lead to pitch his way to his first-career win in the Purple & Gold. Classmate Marcos Armenta (Bellflower, Calif. / Gahr) pitched out the win, pitching 1.2 scoreless frames to seal the deal on a fun Friday win.

Saturday Game 1: Caltech 9, Whittier 4

The Caltech games took on a bit of a different tone when the Poets traveled to the North Field turf for Saturday's games. Whittier hung three runs on Caltech in the second inning but otherwise found themselves in an uphill battle to provide the consistent offense they did at Mendez Stadium on Friday. Similar to their big inning the day prior, the three-run second inning came on the heels of some Caltech miscues the Poets were able to take advantage of to gain the lead. Vuz, Hernandez, and sophomore Ian Watanabe (Lodi, Calif. / Lodi) all scored during this stretch to put the visitors on top, 3-1. 

Later, senior center fielder Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif. / Redwood) would connect on a solo shot in the eighth inning for his second home run of the season, but by that point, the Beavers had logged eight runs over two innings to swing things back in their favor. That did not stop the Poets' middle order from having a big game, however, as the 12 hits would come from the bats of just six different players, including Vuz who had three of them. Senior starting pitcher Arturo Escandon (Hacienda Heights, Calif. / Bishop Amat) also did an admirable job of holding the home team early, overcoming an early hiccup to give the Poets four solid frames to open the game.

Saturday Game 2: Caltech 8, Whittier 5

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader proved to be more of the same, with the Poets surging early before the bats went dormant in the middle innings. A three-run second inning that featured Gray's third home run of the series came in retaliation to a strong opening inning from the Caltech offense. After that, the Poets worked the Beavers over with some more small ball before freshman middle infielder Nate Sherman (Ventura, Calif. / Buena) scored Vuz with a base knock to finish off the frame. Sherman would single again in the eighth inning to score Stirton fresh off the outfielder stealing second in a play that forced an error out of the Caltech catcher. The senior would finish with three steals for the game, but the tone of the contest once again came down to a potent Whittier offense not fully maximizing its opportunities. 

Head Coach Mike Rizzo and the Poets will have a quiet week ahead of them with one lone non-conference meeting with the University of La Verne on the road on Friday, Mar. 11. They will play another pair of non-conference games against SCIAC foes during the following week as well. 

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