LA VERNE, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2024) – A double into right center field from senior middle infielder
Heaven Wolf (Montebello, Calif. / Schurr) put the Whittier College softball team over the top on Wednesday night, allowing the Poets to defeat Brandeis University, 4-3, on a walkoff hit.
Wednesday's game was originally tapped as a doubleheader for Monday in Whittier, but due to inclement weather would be moved to Wednesday night at with the University of La Verne set to host.
The Poets traded runs intermittently with the Judges until the two huge hits ultimately gave Whittier the winning nod. It started when freshman outfielder
Daniella Contreras (Buena Park, Calif. / John F. Kennedy) entered the game to pinch hit. She responded by smoking a double into right center field, reaching base easily. With a runner in scoring position and two outs to play with, the Poets found themselves in a dream spot to end the game, especially with the top of the order due up. On the very next at-bat, Wolf, who finished the game with two hits and two RBIs, found the same spot as her freshman teammate did, and easily brought Contreras home as the Poets dugout rushed the field in celebration.
The Judges' pitching and defense presented plenty of offensive opportunities for the Poets throughout the game besides just the seventh inning. Whittier went up on its opponent with two runs in the first inning after junior catcher
Maya Palos (Monterey Park, Calif. / Schurr) reached first on a fielding error by the third baseman, allowing senior first baseman
Emily Adkison (Laguna Niguel, Calif. / Mater Dei) to score. Senior
Marissa Flynn (Covina, Calif. / South Hills) continued Whittier's momentum with an ensuing single that scored Palos and gave the Poets an early 2-0 advantage. From there, sharp pitching from junior
Daryanna Ductoc (Alhambra, Calif. / Ramona Convent Secondary School) and
Kiley Kraft (Alhambra, Calif. / Ramona Convent Secondary School) helped get the Poets to the finish line. Ductoc struck out three in nearly six innings of work before giving way to Kraft, who worked around a pair of walks to allow nary a hit and ultimately pick up the win.
Excellent defense in all facets of the game also helped the Poets successfully reach the finish line with a victory in tow. Whittier went the full seven innings without committing a single error, and sharp defensive plays helped kill any momentum Brandeis could muster. One such example came in the top of the seventh, when Palos threw out the runner on first base to upend the Judges in the game's waning moments. Another prime moment came in the second inning, when junior center fielder
Sara Luna (Downey, Calif. / Downey) threw out a Brandeis runner at second base trying extend a single into a double. What could have been a big inning for the Judges' ended up being a quick inning for the Poets, who showed plenty of resiliency throughout the seven-inning contest.
Head Coach
Trisha Senyo and the Poets will look to continue their run of success to start the year when they host York College of Pennsylvania for a single game on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.
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