WHITTIER, Calif. (Apr. 26, 2025) – Senior
Anna Rivas (Porterville, Calif. / Monache / University of Saint Katherine) was one of several leading contributors for the Whittier College softball team on Saturday afternoon. The Poets finished out a three-game SCIAC series against Occidental College by taking the third game of the series in emphatic fashion, pouring 17 runs on the Tigers en route to their first mercy rule victory of the season.
Additionally, the Poets have continued a run of having not been mercy rule'd themselves in SCIAC play -- a streak that dates back to April 2024.
Game 1: Occidental 6, Whittier 4
A wild first game of Saturday's doubleheader saw the Poets outhit the Tigers but come up short on the scoreboard. Redshirt junior
Kelly Nutter (Carlsbad, Calif. / La Costa Canyon / Cal State San Marcos | Palomar College), who announced her intention to return to for her final year of eligibility next year, crossed home plate three times and walked twice. She was a benefactor of some timely hitting from the younger Rivas sister, who plated three runs on the back of a 3-for-3 game at the dish. Two of those hits went for extra bases -- a double and a triple; and she was not the only Poet to register three hits in the first game. Senior outfielder
Sara Luna (Downey, Calif. / Downey) also picked up a trio of hits and got to flash the signature speed she's become known for with a stolen base.
In spite of this, the Tigers were able to avoid the one big inning from the Poets that would have blown the game open. Whittier ultimately left 11 runners on base and though they walked a collective six times as a team, the Tigers were able to manuever around them and earn the series in the first game of Saturday's two-game set. Three Whittier pitchers combined over the seven inning game, including senior
Daryanna Ductoc (Alhambra, Calif. / Ramona Convent Secondary School / Los Angeles Mission) and junior
Bella Peinado (Ventura, Calif. / Ventura), who held the Tigers scoreless over the game's final three innings.
Game 2: Whittier 17, Occidental 4
The second game of Saturday's doubleheader yielded Whittier's most runs in a single game since 2022 when they dumped a 20-burger on the University of Redlands. Here, the Poets scored 17 runs to earn an easy win over the Tigers -- in a season where very few SCIAC wins for any team in the conference have come easily.
It took the Poets' entire lineup to put up the gaudy numbers -- six different players registered multiple RBIs. However, two Poets finished with three: Senior catcher
Maya Palos and senior middle infielder
Arianna Salazar (San Diego, Calif. / Clairemont / University of Saint Katherine | San Diego Mesa College). Collectively, Whittier had 15 hits, but no player had more than two individually. Meanwhile, Rivas continued her recent stretch as one of the hottest players in the conference by adding two RBIs to give her 13 on the year and move her into fifth on the team heading into the final series of the year.
Senior pitcher
Kiley Kraft (Alhambra, Calif. / Ramona Convent Secondary / School Pasadena City College) threw all five innings, but there was still a huge moment to be had for fellow senior pitcher
Olivia Nunez (Placentia, Calif. / Valencia / Fullerton College). Nunez drew the start at the DP, and like her teammates had no problem making contact with a 2-for-3 day at the dish. However, in the fourth inning, Nunez got all of one Occidental pitch in particular, smashing it into dead center field for her first home run of the season. She was subsequently mobbed by her teammates as she crossed home plate, giving her yet another moment to hang her hat on what has been a great two-year run at Whittier.
Of Whittier's 17 hits on the day, six went for extra base hits with Luna shining in particular with a pair of doubles, once again putting her impressive speed to work.
Head Coach Terry Schweikert and the Poets will finish out the 2025 regular season with a three-game series against the University of La Verne. The Poets will host the first game of the series on Friday, May 2 at 3 p.m.
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