REDLANDS, Calif. (May 8, 2026) – The Whittier College softball team returned to the SCIAC Tournament for the first time since 2019 on Friday afternoon, taking on one of the top teams in the nation in No. 4 ranked University of Redlands at The Field of Dreams.
Despite an explosive start at the plate, the Poets ultimately fell 15-4 in five innings in the opening round matchup.
Whittier wasted no time making noise against the top-seeded Bulldogs. After Daniella Contreras (Buena Park, Calif. / John F. Kennedy) opened the game with a single and a stolen base, Mia Gonzales (Pico Rivera, Calif. / Schurr) launched a two-run homer to left center to put the Poets ahead early. Just moments later, Kelly Nutter (Carlsbad, Calif. / La Costa Canyon / Cal State San Marcos) followed with a solo blast of her own as Whittier stunned Redlands with back-to-back home runs and a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The offense continued to pressure the Bulldogs in the second. Laila Pulachet (Norwalk, Calif. / Bravo / Hawaii Pacific University) singled to get the frame started before Mariah Rodriguez (Barstow, Calif. / Barstow) ripped a game-tying RBI double to center field, extending her program-record season doubles total once again.
Whittier totaled four extra-base hits in the opening two innings, including a two-out double from Tiaira Richardson (Vista, Calif. / Rancho Buena Vista), and briefly kept pace with one of Division III softball's most potent lineups.
Even in the loss, the Poets continued to showcase the offensive firepower that carried them into the postseason. Gonzales connected on her seventh home run of the season, while Nutter added her fifth. Rodriguez and Richardson each contributed doubles as Whittier continued its trend of aggressive extra-base production.
The appearance marked Whittier's first SCIAC Tournament game in seven years, with the Poets battling against one of the premier programs in the country in their postseason return.
Head Coach Terry Schweikert and the Poets will continue fighting through the SCIAC Tournament on Saturday, May 9, returning to Redlands for an elimination matchup against the No. 3 seeded La Verne Leopards beginning at 11 a.m.
