WHITTIER, Calif. (Mar. 14, 2026) – Sophomore catcher
Mariah Rodriguez (Barstow, Calif. / Barstow) launched her first home run of the season while junior outfielder
Daniella Contreras (Buena Park, Calif. / John F. Kennedy) continued her strong offensive stretch and senior first baseman
Olivia Butler (San Jose, Calif. / Pioneer) walked it off
as the Whittier College softball team split a non-conference doubleheader with SUNY Oneonta on Saturday afternoon at Palmer Field.
The Poets rolled to a decisive mercy-rule victory in Game 1 before battling back late in the second game, highlighting another productive day at the plate for the Purple & Gold.
Game 1: Whittier 9, SUNY Oneonta 1 (5 innings)
Whittier's offense wasted no time getting started in the opener, plating two runs in the first inning and erupting for five more in the third to pull away from the visiting Red Dragons.
Mia Gonzales (Pico Rivera, Calif. / Schurr) opened the scoring with an RBI single through the left side that brought home Contreras, before
Maya Torres (Lakewood, Calif. / Artesia) followed with an RBI single of her own to double the early lead.
The Poets broke the game open in the third inning. Contreras delivered a two-run single to center field to extend the advantage, while
Kelly Nutter (Carlsbad, Calif. / La Costa Canyon / Cal State San Marcos) added an RBI triple to the gap. Rodriguez then punctuated the inning with a towering two-run home run to right center, giving Whittier a commanding 7-0 lead.
Contreras led the offense by reaching base three times while scoring three runs and driving in two. Gonzales added two hits and two RBIs, while Torres and Butler each delivered RBI singles. Butler's pinch-hit knock in the fifth inning brought home the game-ending run as Whittier secured the mercy-rule victory.
In the circle, senior lefty
Bella Peinado (Ventura, Calif. / Ventura) delivered a stellar performance, tossing her first complete game of the season. Peinado scattered just three hits across five innings while allowing only one run and inducing 13 ground outs to earn the win.
Game 2: SUNY Oneonta 6, Whittier 4
Despite an early deficit, the Poets showed resilience in the second game and mounted a late push that brought them within striking distance.
Oneonta built a six-run lead through the first five innings, but Whittier's offense came alive in the bottom half of the game.
Andrea Toledo (Hayward, Calif. / Mt. Eden) got the Poets on the board in the fifth inning with an RBI double to right center that scored
Tiaira Richardson (Vista, Calif. / Rancho Buena Vista).
Whittier continued to chip away in the sixth inning.
Laila Pulachet (Norwalk, Calif. / Bravo / Hawaii Pacific University) worked a bases-loaded walk to force in a run, before Contreras delivered a clutch two-run single through the right side that trimmed the deficit to just two runs.
Torres led the Poets with two hits in Game 2, while Richardson reached base twice and scored two runs. Contreras once again played a key role offensively, finishing the day batting .500 with four RBIs and two walks across the doubleheader.
Freshman right-hander
Aaliyah Garcia (Ontario, Calif. / Colony) also provided a bright spot for Whittier, making her collegiate debut and closing the game with three scoreless innings of relief while striking out three batters and allowing just three hits.
After the split, Head Coach
Terry Schweikert and the Poets move to 7-7 overall while continuing to build momentum through the early portion of the season. Whittier will return to Palmer Field on Monday, March 16 beginning at 12 p.m. for another non-conference doubleheader against the University of Minnesota Morris Cougars.
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