Whittier comes away with split with Cal Lutheran

Recap courtesy of Whittier College

Photo by: Tony Leon/ActionWestPhotography.com

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Whittier College Softball team came away with a split Saturday against Cal Lutheran University 12-7 and 7-6. 

The Purple & Gold moved to 4-4-1, 3-3 SCIAC and currently sit in a tie for 4^th in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Standings.   

Game 1 (W, 12-7)

Whittier got off to a hot start in game one putting up six runs over the first two innings.  They put up a four-spot in their opening at-bats coming on four hits, while capitalizing on two CLU miscues.  Kacey Whitney (Cypress, Calif.) had a solid double to left center scoring Brianna MaGee (Torrance, Calif.) who reached on an error by the third baseman.  Hayley Wishner (Chino, Calif.) then followed with a single through the left side before Whitney stole home moving the score to 2-0.

Then Brittany Attaway (Claremont, Calif.) came to the plate and she hammered a two-run shot that extended the Poet lead to 4-0.  In the second, Whittier capitalized on another Regal error this time off the bat of Hannah Angileri (San Jose, Calif.) who doubled to right center plating Wishner.  This made the score 6-0. 

CLU though battled back bringing one across in the 2^nd and then another four in the 3^rd.  This got them within one but that's as close as they would get as WC would plate another two in the 4^th and 5^th extending the lead back to 10-5.  In the 4^th the Poets added three hits and used a Regal error and then in the 5^th Attaway and Angileri went back to back with doubles that opened the game up. 

Cal Lutheran rallied again in the 5^th getting a pair back thanks to a triple from Kendall Marinesi.  But in the 7^th Whittier put the game out of reach with Jannelle Ha (Arcadia, Calif.) and MaGee both adding base knocks that scored another two.

Sam Casanas picked up the win going a complete game giving up seven runs on 12 hits.  She improves to 2-2.  Offensively the Poets had seven players collect multi-hits.  MaGee was 2-for-6 with a run scored and two RBI's.  Whitney was 2-for-5 with a run and an RBI and Attaway and Angileri were 2-for-5 combining for six runs batted in and four runs scored.              

Game 2 (L, 7-6)

The fireworks occurred in game two of the doubleheader.  Whittier was forced to play catch-up during the game.  They trailed 3-0 after the 1^st giving up a two-run blast.  In the 4^th WC looked like they would have a big inning with Angileri doubling to right center followed by singles from Yolanda Oregel (Anaheim, Calif.) and Jade Sanchez (Whittier, Calif.).  But after that, Whittier couldn't bring anything else in as a fielder's choice would force out Oregel trying to score followed by Sanchez getting called out attempting to score from third and Emily Facio (Chino, Calif.) getting forced out on a groundout by Ha.

The 3-1 score would remain over the next two innings until the 7^th when the Poets and Regals combined for nine runs.  Whittier put up a five spot coming on one out.  MaGee drove in the first two runs with a double to center.  Whitney singled through the left side that plated another and Attaway added insurance with another two-run shot that moved the score to 6-3. 

But the game wasn't done as CLU would rally in the bottom half of the inning.  After a quick out, the Regals went single, double, double that got two runs back.  A fly-out would bring Whittier within an out of escaping with the sweep but they couldn't get the third as a walk and back to back singles would send CLU to the come from behind victory. 

Alexis Vargas (Pomona, Calif.) threw a complete game and went 6.2 innings giving up seven runs on 11 hits.  She was charged with the loss.  Attaway finished 2-for-3 with a run scored and two RBI's and a walk.  MaGee was 1-for-4 scoring once and two RBI's and Sanchez was 1-for-2 scoring once and driving in another.