WHITTIER, Calif. (Feb. 28, 2009) – A hot start for the Tigers saw an early lead for Occidental, but the Poets stormed back to steal away game one 12-6 before handing the black and orange a 6-1 loss in game two of a double header at Whittier College's Palmer Field today.

Although the Tigers pushed seven runs across the board, to equal their season total to date, Whittier used a combined 18 runs to earn a pair of Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victories, dropping Occidental to 0-6 overall, 0-4 in league play. 

In Game 1 Oxy took an early lead with four runs over the first two innings on three hits and four Poets errors. Olympia Powell, singled to lead the game off and was responsible for a run in each of the first two innings. Alyssa Escalante singled and scored on a sac fly off the bat of Tasha Serna-Gallegos while shortstop Gabriela Chavez rounded the bases after reaching on a fielders choice.

After a scoreless first inning, the Poets (6-6, 2-4 SCIAC) dug themselves out of the hole they had created as the Whittier bats came alive in the second inning, scoring eight runs on seven hits. WC tacked on three runs in the bottom of the third.

Although Oxy posted two more runs in the fourth, on a two-RBI single by Alyssa Smith that scored Powell, who reached on an error, and Chavez, who singled, that was as close as the Tigers would get in the game. The Poets added one more insurance run in the sixth en route to the six-run win.

Amanda Webster (3-5) got the complete game win for Whittier, while freshman Shanna Yackel was tagged with the loss after tossing 5.0 innings. 

Game two began on the same foot, with Oxy taking an early 1-0 lead. Escalante reached on an error to lead off the second inning and moved to third on a double by Smith before Serna-Gallegos drove her in with a groundball to second base. Unfortunately that was as much offense as the Tigers would muster up, collecting just two more hits in the game. Smith connected for a single in the fourth and Stephanie Egan singled to right center before being stranded at third in the sixth.

Brendan Thompson went 4-for-4 for Whittier in the second game with three RBIs while Mary Pacheco was 3-for-3 with a pair of runs and a pair of RBIs. . For the day she batted 5-for-8. WC scored at least one in each of the final four innings after being held scoreless over the first two frames. Heather Dady (2-1) also threw a complete game for the Poets.

Occidental will be back on the diamond Sunday, March 1, when they host Patten University in a non-conference twin bill beginning at noon on Bell Field.