WHITTIER, CA. (February 15, 2025)- The Purple and Gold battled a tough Lewis & Clark team Saturday in their first game of a 3 game series. After trailing 3-0 in this game, the Whittier Poets rallied together to defeat the Pioneers by a final score of 4-3.
The Poets sent
Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif., Ramona) to the mound this game and after getting into a jam in the first inning, he was able to get out of it only giving up 1 run. The senior would settle into this game giving up little action to Lewis & Clark, besides a home run in the top half of the fourth.
Heading to the bottom of the fourth inning, the Poets were trailing 3-0.
Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) started a rally with a single down the left field line and was followed up with a
Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) double.
Ian Watanabe (Lodi, Calif., Lodi) then drew a walk to load the bases.
Andrew Griffin (Colton, Calif., San Bernardino Valley) stepped up next and hit a single up the middle to score 2 runs. The game was now 3-2 Pioneers.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the sixth inning when the Poets were able to tie it up. Watanabe started it reaching on an error by the shortstop and
Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., Maywood Center for Enriched Studies) sent him to second with a walk. Then head coach
Mike Rizzo sent
Joseph Leyva (Downey, Calif., La Harbor College) into run for Watanabe at second, and the decision paid off. Griffin knocked another single to right field and Leyva used his speed to score from second and tie the game.
With the game in a 3-3 tie, Plaskett stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the eighth inning for Whittier. Battling at the plate, the junior drove a 2-strike pitch over the right field fence to put the Poets up 4-3.
In the top half of the ninth
Aaron Cazares (Eastvale, Calif., Norco) slammed the door on the Pioneers, securing the 4-3 win for the Poets. Cazares pitched phenomenal for the Purple and Gold throwing 3 perfect innings and striking out 4, on his way to earning the victory.
Plaskett's go-ahead homer was just what the Poets needed, after scratching back into this game and Cazares and Berber keeping the Pioneer bats quite. Plaskett, Mecate, and Griffin all tallied 2 hits in this game; while Griffin paced the pack with 3 RBIs.
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