WHITTIER, CA. (APR. 6, 2024)- After taking the first game of the series yesterday against the University of Redlands Bulldogs, the Whittier Poets could not finish them off Saturday. The Poets would drop both games of the double-header, the first by a final of 8-1 and the second 10-8. 

GAME 1:
In the first game of the day the Bulldogs came out ready to play and swing it. They scored 8 runs from the third to the sixth, as the Whittier pitching and defense could not get things going. 

In the seventh and eighth innings, Zach Kennedy (Sacramento, Calif., Capital HS) and Tanner Salazar (La Mirada, Calif., La Mirada HS) were able to hold the Bulldogs to only one hit and gave the offense one last chance to make a move. In the top of the seventh Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif., Ramona HS), who threw a complete game yesterday, smashed a ball over the left field wall. However, Whittier could not get a rally going and dropped this game 8-1. 

The Poets only managed 4 hits this game with Berber's homer, a Luis Guillermo Chavarin Jr. (Fullerton, Calif., Sonora, Cerritos College) double, and Ian Watanabe (Lodi, Calif., Lodi HS) and Nathan Sherman (Ventura, Calif., Buena HS) singles. The team looked ahead to the final game of the series. 

GAME 2:
In the final game of the series Whittier looked like a different team at the plate. In the first inning Teige Barrett (San Diego, Calif., Mira Mesa HS) singled, and was moved over to second base after Berber was hit by a pitch. Watanabe then doubled to left-center field and scored both runners. Sherman followed that up with a double of his own to score Watanabe and put the Poets up 3-0. 

In the second inning, Delvan Gomez (Artesia, Calif., Gahr HS) lined a triple to center field. He was brought in on a quality team at-bat from James Stirton (Cerritos, Calif., Valley Christian HS), who hit a sacrifice fly to left field. Whittier was up 4-0, but Redlands answered back. The Bulldogs managed to score 4 runs in the bottom of the inning to tie this game. 

Whittier did not stop there, the next inning the team put 2 more on the scoreboard. Lew Rice (Walkerton, Va., IMG Academy) led things off with a double to right field and came in to score on a Berber single to left field. Sherman once again came up with a big hit and after the Bulldogs threw the ball around a little bit Berber was able to score to bring the Poets lead to 6-4. 

Redlands recaptured the lead in the fourth inning, after scoring 3 runs on some Poet miscues. The Purple and Gold were not going away though, as the game was once again tied up in the top of the fifth inning. Barrett and Rice singled to start things off, the former was moved over to third on a fly out to center field. The latter then got in a rundown between first and second base, allowing Barrett enough time to advance home and tie the game at 7. 

The Bulldogs answered by scoring 3 in the bottom of the seventh and taking a 10-7 lead over the Poets. Whittier was not able to come back this time though, only scoring 1 more run the remainder of the game. In the eighth inning Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington HS) singled and was brought in to score on a Gomez single, but this is where the scoring would end. The final score of this game would be 10-8. 

Whittier's offense was much better this game, finishing with 13 hits and scoring 8 runs, However, Redlands had the Poets pitching figured out and were able to score 10 runs on 13 hits. Rice and Sherman paced the way for Whittier, both finishing with 3 hits including a double. Barrett and Gomez each contributed 2 hits, while Berber, Watanabe, and Plaskett had 1. Nate Burke (Glendale, Calif., Glendale) and Jackson Salinas (Oxnard, Calif., Oxnard HS, Oxnard College) pitched solid in relief for Whittier, combining to go 3.2 innings, with 2 hits and a strikeout. 

The Poets will need to bounce back quickly from this series defeat. The team will be back in action Tuesday night, traveling to Amerige Park in Fullerton to take on Hope University. This will be another night game for Whittier, with the first pitch coming at 6:00 PM.