Baseball Gets SCIAC Started With Sweep of Caltech

Anthony Capelletti '09 batted .800 in three games as Whittier College baseball began the conference season with a sweep of Caltech on February 29 and March 1.  The Poets took game one in Pasadena by a score of 11-1.  They came back to Whittier the next day and took both legs of the doubleheader 21-2 and 17-4, respectively.

Cappelletti went 10-for-12 with seven RBI and nine runs scored in the series.  He got the weekend started with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate with two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored in game one.  Patrick Martin '10 also went deep and ended up 2-for-4 on the day with two RBI and two runs scored.  Ryan Martin '08 went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.  John Fugazi '09 was 3-for-5 with an RBI, stolen base and two runs scored.  Thomas Phelps '09 (1-1) was rolling on the mound, not allowing an earned run and just two hits in seven innings of work.  He also struck out nine batters.  Kevin "Fungo" Pigott '10 pitched two innings of no-hit ball in relief.

Back at the friendly confines of Memorial Field in game two of the series, Cappelletti went 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles, one RBI and three runs scored.  He also stole three bases.  Ryan Crawford '11 went 2-for-5 with a home run, five RBI and three runs scored.  Ryan Martin hit a grand slam and Brian Carmona '10 was 2-for-3 with a two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.  Fugazi stole three bases and scored twice.  Blake Luitwieler '08 (2-1) was credited with the win after striking out eleven batters and allowing no runs on three hits in five innings pitched.

In the final game of the series, Crawford went 3-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored.  Jerry Schnaus '09 led the team with four RBI.  Ryan Martin hit a two-run homer and scored twice.  Cappelletti went 2-for-2 with a triple, one RBI, two walks and three runs scored.  Trevor Bormann '10 hit a two-run double.  Justin Armijo '09 (1-2) pitched five innings and allowed one earned run on four hits to get the win.  Mark Canner '08 and Marty Bueno '09 combined to pitch two hitless innings in relief.  Bueno struck out all three batters he faced. 

The Poets continue SCIAC play on March 7 against Claremont-Muss-Scripps.  They travel to Claremont, Calif., for game one before returning to Memorial Field for the day two doubleheader.