Poets sweep Pioneers with no-hitter and homeruns

WHITTIER, Calif. - The Whittier College softball team hit three homeruns and Nikole Gandara threw a no-hitter as the Poets extended its win streak to four games with a pair of non-conference wins over Lewis & Clark College on Thursday afternoon at Palmer Field.

The purple and gold (17-11) trailed early in the first game as the Pioneers (1-17) scored three runs in the top of the first innings. However, the lead was short lived as WC exploded for six runs in its half of the first en route to the 12-4 win.

Mary Pacheco, Amanda Carrasco and Vicky Ovieda all hit two-run homeruns in the first to put the Poets up 6-3 after one full inning. WC tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the second which proved to be more than enough for pitcher Amanda Webster.

Webster went all five innings and struck out seven batters as she earned her sixth win of the season. The Poets finished Game 1 with 12 hits, 12 runs and 12 runs batted in. Carrasco and Ovieda each had a game-high three RBIs.

The second game was controlled by Gandara as the only thing that kept her from a perfect game was a lead-off walk in the fourth innings. Gandara went the distance as she struck out five batters in the 8-0 win.

The Poets matched their hit total from Game 1 with 12 as all eight runs where driven in. Brenda Thompson led the offense with four RBIs and a pair of hits while Colleen Mundy scored twice, drove in two runs and collected two hits.

The Poets return to conference action on Saturday, March 28, as they face Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at Noon and 2 p.m.