WHITTIER, Calif. (March 8, 2023) - Whittier swept the Alfred Saxons of New York in a Wednesday doubleheader, winning Game 1, 8-0, by mercy rule and prevailing in Game 2 in comeback fashion, 6-4. The Poets are now 7-3 this season and are +14 in run differential.

GAME ONE:

Senior Jamie Garvey pitched a perfect 4 2/3 innings in the victory, striking out six and improving to 4-2 this season with the win. She co-leads the SCIAC in wins and paces the conferece in strikeouts (34), while her ERA stands at fifth (2.04). Only two Saxons reached base all game: one on a walk and then one on a hit that just went past junior first baseman Emily Adkison.

Seven of the Poets' eight runs came across in the third inning, the final three runs of the frame unearned.

Junior Lindsey Perry, who's had a scorching bat of late, knocked in the first run with an RBI double to left-center field.

Freshman Lucy Brooks then singled home Perry with a hard hit to left field. Brooks actually had two RBI singles in the third inning. That's how long the inning went!

In the bottom of the fifth, the score was 7-0, with two outs and junior Sara Chiala at the plate and freshman Samantha Ramirez on first base.

Ramired had reached first after her first career collegiate hit, a single she drilled through the left side.

Chiala pulverized the softball to right field, and Ramirez was waved around third base, scoring. As the run gave Whittier an eight-run advantage in the fifth inning with Alfred already having batted in the inning, the Poets were credited with the victory by mercy rule. 

The game was over in just one hour and 25 minutes, and much of that was the Poets' half of the third.

Six different Whittier hitters drove in runs in Game One: Perry, Brooks, sophomore Maya Palos, senior Kelly Monroy, senior Melissa Carrasco and Chiala. Seven different Whittier runners scored in the contest, Ramirez leading the way with two.

In total, the Poets had nine hits. Brooks was their only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3. 

GAME TWO:

Game Two was much more competitive, with Alfred leading 3-0 until the Bottom of the 3rd. The Saxons scored one run apiece in each of the first three innings, and then did not score again until the 7th.

Whittier got on the board in the Bottom of the 3rd when the Saxons elected to unsuccessfully throw to second base to attempt to catch Perry stealing with two outs, allowing Chiala to score.

The Poets scored their second run in the fifth on a Chiala sacrifice fly that cashed in junior Heaven Wolf.

Later, in the fifth, with one out, Adkison hit a ground ball to shortstop that resulted in an error and two runs, giving Whittier a 4-3 lead.

The Poets tacked on two insurance runs the following inning on a two-run single with one out by pinch hitter sophomore Bella Bordine.

In the game, each of the six Poet runs was scored by a different player.

Senior Katelyn Calvetti earned the win, improving to 3-1 this season, pitching five innings with three runs allowed and issuing just one walk. Garvey recorded the save, the first Poets save of the season. Freshman Bella Peinado was outstanding in the ciricle for the sixth inning, getting three outs on eight pitches (six strikes) with her lone baserunner reaching on an error.

Perry had another strong game, leading the team in hits with a pair (2-for-4). It was her third mult-hit performance of the season, and the junior is now 7-for-12 over the past four games.  That's a scalding .583 batting average! Perry also stole a base in Game Two, her fourth of the season.

Sophomore Andrea Maushardt picked up her first hit of the season in her second at-bat of the year on a pitch she absolutely jumped on to right-center.

The Poets host another East Coast team, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Engineers, in a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.

Then, on Sunday, the Poets host the Buena Vista University Beavers of Iowa, for a Noon doubleheader.

See you at Palmer Field this weekend!

Photo: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

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