WHITTIER, CA. (March 11, 2025)- The Whittier College Poets put up a valiant fight against Franklin & Marshall but came up just short, falling 8-6 in a hard-fought game at Hugh B. Mendez Stadium. The Poets showed resilience and offensive power, rallying from multiple deficits before the Diplomats managed to edge them out in the final innings. Despite the loss, Whittier's offense flashed its potential and gave fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the rest of the season.
The game began as a pitching duel, with both teams held scoreless through the first three innings. Whittier's starting pitcher,
Andrew Berdelis (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach), delivered a strong performance, striking out six batters over four innings.
In the top of the fourth, Franklin & Marshall broke the deadlock with a solo home run. The Poets responded in the bottom half when third basemen,
Andrew Griffin (Colton, Calif., San Bernardino Valley), led off with a bunt single.
Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., Maywood Center for Enriched Studies) and
Jackson Brummett (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) then recorded singles of their own to load the bases.
Thomas Iten (Stockton, Calif., Lincoln) then hit a SAC fly to center field that scored Griffin, leveling the game at 1-1.
The Diplomats capitalized on a defensive miscue in the fifth, leading to a three-run homer and a 5-1 advantage. Undeterred, Whittier's offense ignited in their half of the inning. Second baseman
Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) drew a walk, followed by back-to-back hit-by-pitches by
Matthew Mecate and
Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) to load the bases. A single from first baseman
Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif., Ramona) scored Schulze and kept the bases loaded for Griffin. Griffin then delivered a clutch two-RBI double, narrowing the gap to 5-4. Jasso contributed with an RBI single, tying the game at 5. Brummett's drop third strike and error by the catcher allowed the go-ahead run to come across the plate, giving the Poets a 6-5 lead.
Reliever
Marcos Armenta (Bellflower, Calif., Gahr) entered in the fifth and provided 2.2 innings of solid relief, allowing just one run and maintaining Whittier's lead into the eighth. However, Franklin & Marshall rallied late, scoring two runs in the eighth and adding an insurance run in the ninth, reclaiming the lead at 8-6.
Despite the setback, the Poets displayed commendable tenacity. Battle and Griffin each recorded multi-hit games, while the bullpen showcased depth with contributions from Armenta,
Diego Lopez (San Jose, Calif., Thomas More), and
Aaron Cazares (Eastvale, Calif., Norco).
The Poets will look to build on this performance as they prepare for their next matchup, aiming to convert their competitive play into victories. They play host to SCIAC foe Chapman on Friday at home, with the game beginning at 3:00.
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