WHITTIER, CA. (Feb. 13, 2026)- Whittier College baseball played host to the Lewis and Clark Pioneers on Friday afternoon in a non-conference battle. The Poets jumped out to an early lead and battled until the final inning, but a late surge by the Pios resulted in a 7–5 loss at Mendez Stadium.
The Poets wasted no time getting on the board in the first. Coehn Nakasone (Aiea, Hawaii, Mid-Pacific Institute) worked a leadoff walk and was moved over to third on a Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) single to right field. Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) then delivered an RBI single to left, Parker Eastwood-Lilles (Vancouver BC, Canada, St. George's Academy) followed with an RBI double to right to give Whittier a 2–0 advantage.
Whittier added another run in the third, capitalizing on pressure and timely hitting. Plaskett reached on an error and moved into scoring position before Eastwood-Lilles was hit by a pitch. Alex Jasso (South Gate, Calif., MACES) then lined an RBI single to right-center to extend the lead to 3–0.
On the mound, Andrew Berdelis (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) drew the start for the Poets and gave them 5 solid innings. The sophomore threw 5 innings, allowing 2 runs on 4 hits, while also setting a new career high with 8 strikeouts.
After Lewis & Clark pulled even in the top of the sixth inning, the Poets answered again in the bottom half. Eastwood-Lilles sparked the inning with his second double of the day and later scored when Aidan Cardoza (Riverside, Calif., San Bernardino Valley College) singled to right, putting Whittier back in front, 4–3.
Lewis & Clark shifted the momentum in the top of the eighth, as they were able to put 4 runs on the board and take a 7-4 lead.
The Poets made one final push in the ninth. Eric Logsdon (Apple Valley, Calif., Victor Valley College) doubled to begin the frame, and after two hit-by-pitches loaded the bases, Plaskett brought home a run on a fielder's choice to cut the deficit to two. Whittier put the tying run on base before the comeback attempt came up just short.
Eastwood-Lilles led the way with two doubles and an RBI, while Cardoza and Jasso each recorded two hits. The Poets tallied 10 hits on the afternoon and continued to apply pressure offensively throughout the contest. On the pitching side, the Purple and Gold tallied 15 total strikeouts, but despite these efforts, Whittier fell just short.
Whittier will look to bounce back as non-conference play continues this Sunday, hosting the Whitworth University Pirates.
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