CLAREMONT, CA (MAR. 28, 2026) – Whittier College baseball battled throughout Saturday's doubleheader but came up short in both contests, falling 6–3 and 16–7 to Pomona-Pitzer to close out the three-game SCIAC series on the road.
Across both games, the Poets showed offensive flashes and resilience, including a strong early surge in the finale and a late push in game one, but were unable to overcome key innings from the Sagehens.
Game One: Pomona-Pitzer 6, Whittier 3
Whittier struck first in the second inning when
Parker Eastwood-Lilles (Vancouver BC, Canada, St. George's Academy) launched a solo home run to center field, giving the Poets an early 1–0 lead.
Pomona-Pitzer answered in the bottom half and took the lead in the fourth on a solo home run, but the game remained tight into the middle innings. The Poets threatened multiple times, including opportunities in the fifth and sixth with runners aboard, but were unable to break through.
The Sagehens created separation in the sixth, stringing together timely hits to plate three runs and extend the lead to 5–1.
Whittier responded in the seventh.
Jay Schulze (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) and
Matthew Mecate (Highland, Calif., CSU Dominguez Hills) were both hit by pitches to start the inning, and
Joe Plaskett (Fremont, Calif., Washington) followed with an RBI single to cut the deficit to three.
After Pomona-Pitzer added a solo home run in the bottom half, the Poets mounted one final push in the ninth. Mecate singled and Eastwood-Lilles drove in a run with a base hit to bring the tying run to the plate, but the rally fell just short.
Eastwood-Lilles led the way with a standout performance, going 4-for-5 with a home run, stolen base, and two RBI, while Plaskett added two hits. Whittier finished with 10 hits in the contest.
Game Two: Pomona-Pitzer 16, Whittier 7
The Poets came out swinging in the series finale, erupting for seven runs over the first three innings to take early control.
In the first,
Rayden Miguel (Ewa Beach, Hawaii, Moanalua), Mecate, and Plaskett set the table before Eastwood-Lilles delivered a three-run double down the left-field line to give Whittier a 3–0 lead.
In the second, the Poets added two more, started by
Coehn Nakasone's (Aiea, Hawaii, Mid-Pacific Institute) lead off double, and taking advantage of defensive miscues to extend the lead to 5–0.
Whittier continued to apply pressure in the third, as
Jackson Brummett (Huntington Beach, Calif., Huntington Beach) started it off with a single. Nakasone and Schulze reached before both came around to score, pushing the advantage to 7–1.
Pomona-Pitzer responded in the bottom of the third and then turned the game in the fourth. The Sagehens strung together multiple hits, including a three-run home run, to cap a seven-run inning and take an 11–7 lead.
The Poets had chances to answer, including a threat in the sixth after Plaskett doubled to put runners in scoring position, but were unable to capitalize.
Pomona-Pitzer added on in the later innings with a pair of home runs and a three-run eighth to pull away.
Eastwood-Lilles drove in three runs, while Schulze and Nakasone each scored twice.
Eric Logsdon (Apple Valley, Calif.) came in and provided a surge off the bench with 2 hits. Whittier totaled nine hits, including doubles from Nakasone, Plaskett, and Eastwood-Lilles.
Whittier showed early offensive firepower and late-game fight across the doubleheader, but key innings from Pomona-Pitzer proved to be the difference as the Poets closed out the SCIAC series on the road.
For the Poets' next game, the team will travel to the home facility of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes on Tuesday, Mar. 31, for what is set to be a historic meeting between the NCAA Division III Whittier and the Class-A minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels.
This exhibition will begin at 6:35 PM, and tickets for the exhibition game are available for purchase at www.rcquakes.com for $10.
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