Photo: Tony Leon/D3WestPhotography

ORANGE, Calif. (Apr. 24, 2022) – The Whittier College baseball team tested second-place Chapman University over the weekend, hanging tough with the Panthers during the second game of Saturday's doubleheader in Orange.

The Poets struggled with the Panthers' exceptional starting pitching over the first two games of the series, but found a groove during Saturday's second game. A three-run second inning even gave the Poets enough hope to carry them through to the end of the game. Junior middle infielder Wilson Okazaki (Riverside, Calif. / Ramona) flashed his improvement in the power department when he pulled a three-run shot into left field that staked the Poets and starting pitcher Teige Barrett (San Diego, Calif. / Mira Mesa) to a two-run lead early. Barrett pitched well enough to keep the home team at bay for more than half the game, showcasing how wildly effective he can be on the mound. He struck out five Panthers through four and a third innings, coming up just shy of what was needed to qualify for the win.

Chapman would find a groove of their own over the second half of Saturday's game, but the Poets scoired a fourth run in the fourth inning when junior outfielder Jack Guerrero (Long Beach, Calif. / Long Beach Poly) made the most of his opportunity with a single up the middle that brough senior outfielder Dane Goodman (Ross, Calif. / Redwood) home from second base. Goodman had earlier in the inning singled into left field, and upon advancing to second after junior catcher Colin Drummond (Lodi, Calif. / Tokay) got plunked, Goodman showcased his speed in scoring from second, which enabled Guerrero to take second on the throw home. The run was Goodman's second of the day, as he had previously crossed home plate as one of the additional two runners to score on Okazaki's blast to left field. The other run was scored by freshman first baseman Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif. / Ramona). The freshman finished the weekend among Whittier's offensive leaders, going 4-for-9 at the dish. 

Head Coach Mike Rizzo and the Poets will take part in the penultimate SCIAC series of the season this weekend when they host Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges for a doublehader on Saturday, May 30 beginning at 11 a.m.

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