By Avery Raimondo '15


Claremont, Calif. – After dropping the first game of a doubleheader against Whittier College 4-2, the Pomona-Pitzer softball team kept close in the second contest until the Poets exploded with an 11-run sixth inning and ultimately defeated the Sagehens 13-2 at Pomona-Pitzer Softball Stadium.

Courtney Delano and Jessica Rosnack were credited with the wins in the first and second games respectively while Anna Cade received a save for keeping the Sagehens at bay when she closed the final 2 1/3 innings of the first matchup for the Poets. Sophomore Fiona Riley (Berkeley, Calif.) was credited with losses in both games for Pomona-Pitzer.

Following a throwing error by the Sagehens that extended the first inning of the opening game, the Poets jumped out to an early two-run lead. Pomona-Pitzer, though, chipped away at that advantage in the bottom of the second. Junior shortstop Lauren Boden (Atlanta, Ga.) doubled to right center and junior first baseman Caitlyn Hynes (Upland, Calif.), who had singled up the middle on the previous at bat, came around from first to score after an error by the Poet shortstop.

The Poets restored their advantage in the fifth inning as they manufactured a run through a sac bunt and a groundout following an Alysse Gutierrez double. Freshman Susanne Boden (Atlanta, Ga. - pictured) then homered in the bottom of the sixth to once again bring the Sagehens within a run. Mercedez Cundiff, however, came up with a homer of her own in the seventh. The Sagehens put two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but were unable to bat either of them in.

Kathryn Rabak (Grass Valley, Calif.), Emily Glass (Davis, Calif.), and Hynes each had two hits for Pomona-Pitzer in the opener.

In the second tilt, the Sagehens trailed by one entering the sixth inning. Whittier scored in the first inning and tacked on another in the fourth. Freshman Paige Oliver (Citrus Heights, Calif.) homered in the fifth to cut the deficit to one, joining Susanne Boden in hitting their first collegiate home runs, but the Sagehens were broken in the next inning.

After two Poet batters walked and singled, Jordan Learn laid down a sac bunt to advance runners to second and third. From there, Whittier homered twice and a total of eleven Poets scored. Hynes doubled with two outs in the bottom of the sixth and came around to score following a Whittier error, but the Sagehens couldn't surmount a challenge and the game ended when Susanne Boden flew out to right field.

Oliver batted 2-for-2 in the nightcap with her solo homer, accounting for two of the five hits for the Sagehens. Rabak and Hynes each went 1-for-3 to finish the day 3-for-7. Cundiff was 3-for-4 with four RBI, and DeLano was 3-for-4 with three RBI for Whittier.

The Sagehens fall to 2-6 this season, including 0-4 in SCIAC play. They return to the diamond next Saturday for a doubleheader against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. The Poets are now 5-1 for the year and 3-1 in the league.