WHITTIER, CA. (March 21, 2025)- The Whittier College Poets showcased their resilience and competitive spirit in a doubleheader against the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens at Hugh B. Mendez Stadium. The Poets dominated the first game with a decisive 10-1 victory but fell just short in an extra-innings thriller in the second game, losing 7-5 in ten innings.

GAME 1: 
After a scoreless first frame, the Poets struck in the second. Ian Watanabe (Lodi, Calif., Lodi) started the inning off with a walk before Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., Maywood Center for Enriched Studies) singled. After a Collin O'Driscoll (Belmont, Calif., College of San Mateo) walk to load the bases, Ty Aldridge (Hayward, Calif., Allegheny College) came through with a clutch two-RBI single to left field, putting Whittier on the board first. The rally didn't stop there, Sevon Battle (Las Vegas, Nev., Baker College) then crushed a towering three-run homer over the left-field fence, sending the Poets' dugout into celebration and giving them a commanding 5-0 lead.

With Maximus Berber (Riverside, Calif., Ramona) dealing on the mound, the Poets continued to play solid defense and maintain dominance over the Sagehen lineup.  
In the fifth, Whittier continued to apply pressure. Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) doubled down the right field line and was followed by a Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) single, to put runners on the corners. Then Watanabe lined a single into center field, plating Mecate; while Jasso followed with a deep sacrifice fly, allowing Plaskett to tag up and score, extending the lead to 7-0.

In the top of the sixth, the Sagehens broke through for their only run of the game via a sacrifice fly, but Whittier quickly answered. In the bottom of the inning, Mecate stayed hot at the plate, lining an RBI single up the middle to bring in Aldridge, restoring a seven-run lead at 8-1.

Looking to put the game out of reach, the Poets tacked on two more runs in the seventh. O'Driscol came through again with a two-RBI single, bringing home Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) and Jasso, capping the scoring at 10-1.

Berber was in complete control, tossing a eight-inning masterpiece. He allowed just one run on six hits while striking out seven. Aaron Cazares (Eastvale, Calif., Norco) came in and slammed the door on the Sagehen bats, securing the 10-1 victory for the Poets. 

Key Performances:
Ty Aldridge- 2 R, 2 RBI, SB
Sevon Battle- HR, 3 RBI, R, SB
Matthew Mecate- 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, double, BB
Ian Watanabe- 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, BB
Alex Jasso- 2 R, RBI, 
Maximus Berber- 8 IP, 1 ER, 7 K, WIN
Aaron Cazares- 1 IP, 0 ER

GAME 3:
Pomona-Pitzer wasted no time getting on the board as they were able to score in the first inning. Whittier quickly responded in the bottom half though. Coehn Nakasone (Aiea, Hawaii, Mid-Pacific), Battle and Plaskett each singled to load the bases, setting up Andrew Griffin (Colton, Calif., San Bernardino Valley), who drew a bases-loaded walk, tying the game at 1-1.

Whittier took their first lead of the game in the second, after Nakasone singled and Battle reached on an error, allowing him to cross the plate for a run, making it 2-1.
The Poets kept the momentum going in the third. Watanabe roped a single into the left-center gap and was followed by a Griffin single. Later the runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Jasso capitalized on the opportunity with a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing in Watanabe to extend Whittier's lead to 3-1.

In the fourth, Pomona-Pitzer fought back, as they worked to cut the deficit to 3-2. Then with the Poets clinging to a one-run lead, Pomona-Pitzer capitalized on a couple Whittier defensive miscues knotting the game at 3-3 in the top of the seventh.

As the game continued, the tension mounted as both teams had chances to break the tie. Whittier put runners in scoring position in the eighth, but a deep flyout stranded the go-ahead run at third. Diego Lopez (San Jose, Calif., West Valley College) worked a scoreless ninth inning to keep the Poets alive.

In extra innings, Pomona-Pitzer finally broke through, scoring four runs on a series of well-placed singles and aggressive baserunning. Trailing 7-3 the Poets showed fight in the bottom half, Plaskett walked to start things before Spencer Jenkins (Bakersfield, Calif., Menlo College) brought home a run with a triple down the right field line. Schulze brought Jenkins home on a SAC fly, but the Poet scoring would stop there and they would drop this game by a final of 7-5.

The Poet pitching in this game showed great growth, as Owen Moore (Austin, Texas, St Michael's Catholic Academy), Jackson Salinas (Oxnard, Calif., Oxnard College), Carter Calkin (Kirkland, Wash., Bellevue Christian School), Diego Lopez (San Jose, Calif., West Valley College), and Lukas Long (Stockton, Calif., Bear Creek) threw well against a tough Sagehen lineup. 

Key Performances:
Owen Moore- 5 IP, 2 ER, 1 K
Jackson Salinas- 1.2 IP, 0 ER, 1 K
Coehn Nakasone- 2-for-4, 2 R
Spencer Jenkins- 1-for-2, triple, RBI, R
Andrew Griffin- 1-for-1, RBI, BB

The Poets showed their offensive firepower in Game 2, with Watanabe, Battle, and O'Driscol leading the charge. Berber was lights-out on the mound, dominating Pomona-Pitzer's hitters from start to finish. Game 3 showcased Whittier's resilience, as they held a lead for much of the game before Pomona-Pitzer clawed back to force extras. Despite the tough extra-inning loss, the Poets proved they can compete with top teams in the conference. They'll look to build on these performances, as they continue their conference matchups next Friday against CMS. 
 

---

Follow and show support for your Whittier Poets on Twitter (@WCPoets), YouTube and Instagram (@PoetAthletics)!