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Mar 3, 2007

Baseball takes two of three from Oxy, Morgado '07, Smith '08 combine for six RBI


Matt Morgado '07 went 5-for-11with three RBI, three runs scored, two doubles and a stolen base as Whittier College won two games in a three-game series with Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Occidental College on March 2 and 3.  Game one was played at Whittier College, where the Poets won 5-4.  The next day's doubleheader was at Occidental and the Poets won game one 8-6 and lost in the nightcap, 9-6.  Whittier is now 5-10 overall and 3-3 in conference play.


In game one of the series, Robbie Smith '08 went 3-for-3 with a run batted in and a run scored.  Ryan Martin '08 was 2-for-4 with a two-run homer (3) and a stolen base.  Ty Crawford '07 hit his third home run of the season.  Morgado and Mike Benavente '09 each went 1-for-3 with a run scored.  Thomas Phelps '09 (3-1) started on the hill and gave up two earned runs on ten hits and struck out three batters in seven innings pitched.  Scot Kakuk '08 earned his first save of the season, pitching a scoreless, hitless two innings.  The only runner he allowed was a hit batsman in the eighth inning.

Occidental struck early, picking up three runs to lead off the game.  Back-to-back home runs from Martin and Crawford tied the game at three in the bottom of the second.  A Poet error led to an Occidental run in the top half of the third, giving the Tigers the 4-3 edge.  Once again the Poets came back, this time to take the lead, when Smith's RBI single in the bottom of the third drove in Benavente and Morgado advanced home on a Tiger fielding error.  With the Poets leading 5-4, both pitchers took control of the next six innings, combining to allow just six more hits and no runs.

In the opening game of the March 3 doubleheader, Morgado led the Poets offensively, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored and a double.  Martin drove in a run and scored another and Smith picked up an RBI.  Benavente went 2-for-6 and scored twice.   Nick Taiariol '08 and Luke Moedritzer '09 each went 2-for-5 with a run scored.  Blake Luitwieler '08 (1-2) got the victory allowing four earned runs on ten hits and striking out five batters in seven innings pitched.  Kevin Chapman '10 pitched an inning and a third and stuck out three batters to earn his second save of the season.

The Poets got on the scoreboard first in the third inning when Morgodo's RBI double brought home Benavente to make the score 1-0.  Occidental took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth with five hits and four runs.  Whittier battled back with a big inning of their own, scoring seven runs with the help of four Tigers' errors.  Occidental committed six errors in the game.  The Tigers would score two in the eighth to make the score 8-6, but Chapman shut the door in the final inning to give the Poets their second win of the series.

In the series finale, Morgado led the Poets with a double, two RBI and a run scored.  Smith went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.  Crawford and Benavente each drove in a run and scored another.  Taiariol went 2-for-4 with an RBI.  Blake Coddinton '09 was 3-for-5 with a run scored.  Justin Armijo '10 (1-3) was credited with the loss after giving up eight earned runs on twelve hits in seven and two-thirds innings.

Benavente led off the series finale with a double and was later brought in by Morgado to give the Poets a 1-0 advantage in the first inning.  In the next inning, back-to-back RBI hits from Morgado and Smith increased the Whittier lead to three.  Occidental got a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the second inning and cut the lead to 3-1.  In the third, Benavente scored Crawford on a ground out to short; 4-1 Poets.  Occidental scored two runs in the bottom of the third , cutting the Whittier lead to one.  Crawford hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth that scored Morgado, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning.  Taiariol's RBI single brought home Smith that same inning to extend the Poet lead to 6-3.  A single and two doubles to open the bottom of the fourth led to three Tiger runs and a tie ballgame.  Neither team scored again until the bottom of the eighth inning when Occidental hit a pair of home runs, scoring three runs and taking the 9-6 lead that would remain the final score.

The Poets are at home for their next contest against Dominican University (IL) on March 5 at 2:30pm.