Poets take Game 1, darkness ends second game
WHITTIER, Calif. - The Poets gave up five runs in the top of the seventh inning but plated the winning run in the bottom of the eighth to earn a 10-9 win over Pacific Lutheran on Saturday afternoon at Palmer Field. The second game was called due to darkness after the fourth inning. The Lutes held a 6-3 lead.
The Poets (2-1) answered a two-run second by Pacific Lutheran with a handful of runs in their second plate appearance.
Janae Townsend started the rally with a two-run walk and moved to second on a single by Morgan Oliver. Jennifer Luders hit a double that landed just inside the left field foul line that scored Townsend and moved Oliver to third.
Ashley Perez picked up a pair of RBIs with a single through the left side and Mary Pacheco cleared the bases with a two-run homerun to center field. Whittier led 5-2 after two.
WC held the Lutes scoreless over the next three innings and added to its lead with a run in its half of the fifth. Amanda Carrasco brought in Pacheco with a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-2.
PLU (0-1) answered with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth but the purple and gold responded with three more runs in the home half of the inning. Pacheco's sacrifice fly scored Oliver, Brenda Thompson's double to left center scored Perez and Molly Yriarte drove in Thompson with a single down the left field line.
Whittier's lead was 9-4 at the end of six but the Lutes scored five runs on five hits in the top of the seventh to force extra innings.
In the bottom of the eight Pacheco led things off with a single to center field and moved to second on a single up the middle by Kellie Canida. Yriarte grounded into a fielder's choice but an error by the PLU second basemen allowed Pacheco to score the winning run.
Whittier collected 11 hits and left seven runners on base. Pacheco, Canida, Yriarte and Olive all had two hits in the win.
Heather Dady started on the mound and went 6.2 innings. She allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 13 hits with two strikeouts. Erica Zamora relieved Dady and earned the win in 1.1 innings. She gave up just one hit with two strikeouts.
The Poets return to action next Saturday as they host Occidental at 12 pm.