Photo: Tony Leon/D3WestPhotography

WHITTIER, Calif. (Apr. 2, 2022) – The Whittier College softball team got its first SCIAC series sweep of the season when they took all three games from Occidental College over the weekend. The Poets needed extra innings in two out of three wins, but nevertheless came away with victories in all three, moving their SCIAC record to 6-3 on the season.

Friday: Whittier 7, Occidental 3 (8 inn.)

Though the Poets were able to win Friday's game by a four-run differential, it took an explosion of offense in the eighth inning for the visitors to earn their sixth road win of the season. However, the pitching of junior Katelyn Calvetti (Monterey, Calif. / Monterey) and Riley Garcia (Fullerton, Calif. / Sunny Hills) held the Tigers to three runs in eight innings and gave the bats every chance to win the game late, which is exactly what they did. Led by infielders Kelly Monroy (La Puente, Calif. / Rio Hondo College) and Marissa Flynn (Covina, Calif. / South Hills), Whittier was able to slap together a pair of hits before senior outfielder Brianna MaGee (Torrance, Calif. / West Torrance) drew a walk to load the bases for freshman catcher Bella Bordine (La Mesa, Calif. / Helix). The rookie responded to the moment in a big way, cracking a bases-clearing double to right center field, giving the visiting team the edge they were looking for.

Whittier, however, wasn't done. Sophomore outfielder Amanda Diaz (Diamond Bar, Calif. / Diamond Bar) pinch ran for Bordine, giving the Poets some added speed to the runner in scoring position. A single from sophomore infielder Lindsey Perry (Corona, Calif. / Santiago) would soon score Diaz, staking the Poets to a four-run advantage heading into the bottom of the ninth. From there, Garcia went to work with a head of steam, having only allowed two baserunners through nearly four innings of relief to that point. With four runs of support in her back pocket, Garcia retired the side in order with three-consecutive ground balls to put a bow on a victory that required the Poets to dig deep. The softball team was, however, awarded with its 16th victory of the season as a result. Monroy featured among the top offensive contributors for the Poets with three hits in four at-bats, while MaGee and Flynn also had two hit games with MaGee tripling into center field in the sixth inning. 

Saturday Game 1: Whittier 1, Occidental 0

The first game of Saturday's doubleheader saw junior transfer Jamie Garvey (Wilmington, Calif. / El Camino College) take her turn on the mound. Garvey, who has really begun to find herself on the mound as of late, delivered more of what fans have become accustomed to seeing in recent weeks by shutting out the Tigers with seven strong innings. The junior surrendered just three hits and four total baserunners to the visiting team while striking out seven to give a strikeout-per-inning on average in the dominant performance. The victory gives Garvey five on the year, and she is currently averaging just under a strikeout per inning on the season. 

Whittier was able to give Garvey one run of support in the first inning, which proved to be all she would need to cruise through the remaining six innings. Bordine, who started at catcher, would once again provide the winning base knock, singling into center field to score Monroy from second base, who hit a leadoff single to open the frame. Over the full game, MaGee would once again prove to be a standout performer for the Poets at the dish, reaching base on every at-bat with a first-inning single to go with a pair of walks. Freshman Sara Luna (Downey, Calif. / Downey), meanwhile, recorded her eighth stolen base of the season in the second inning of Game 1.

Saturday Game 2: Whittier 7, Occidental 6 (8 inn.)

The Poets needed to recapture some of Friday's magic in order to secure a season sweep of Oxy, but actually ended up recreating some their own magic from two weeks ago when sophomore first baseman Emily Adkison (Laguna Niguel, Calif. / Mater Dei) recorded two walk-off hits in the same day. This time, it would be Monroy who would secure the victory for the Poets, singling in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Perry from third in a two-out situation. The clutch hitting brought the junior's batting average to .500 on the week, and the sweep of the Tigers will surely help the Poets as SCIAC Postseason Tournament time gets closer in the coming weeks. The Poets have also become the SCIAC's hottest team, as Monroy's game-winning knock gives Whittier five consecutive wins.

The second game of Saturday's doubleheader played out significantly differently than the first with Whittier jumping out to a 5-1 lead through the first half of the game. Perry accounted for most of the damage with a two-run home run in the second inning to give the home team an early lead. However, the Tigers showed great resolve in fighting back, putting the Poets on the brink with a five-run fifth inning. Garvey entered the game in relief at the tail end of the inning, getting the final out of the inning on a swinging strikeout to give the Poets something to rally behind over the final two frames. With Whittier still needing one run in the seventh inning to force extras, Adkison responeded with a lead-off home run to tie the game before Monroy delivered the game-winning hit in the eighth inning. Garvey would go on to pitch out the remainder of the game, performing well in relief with four strkeouts in three-and-a-third innings.

Head Coach Trisha Senyo and the Poets will look to keep the good vibes going when they take part in their next SCIAC weekend series against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges. The Poets will host the Stags for one game on Friday, Apr. 8.

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