WHITTIER, Calif. – Aidan Cardoza's one out double in the bottom of the ninth lifted Whittier to a 7-6 win over visiting Whitworth in a non-conference baseball game on Sunday at Mendez Stadium.

The Poets (1-5) got their first win of the season while the Pirates dropped to 2-5, 2-3 on the long Southern California weekend.

Whitworth scored three runs in the second inning on an RBI double by Kyle Memarian and a two-run double from Caleb Gray.

Parker Eastwood-Lilles got Whittier on the board with a solo home run in the bottom of the second.  The Poets scored four in the fourth after two were out.  The final three runs of the rally came on a walk, hit batter and a walk with the bases already loaded.

The Pirates tied the game in the sixth with a pair of runs after Emmerson Fleck led off with a double and scored on a ground out from Henry Douglas.  Tommy Lamb followed with an RBI double.

Whittier retook the lead in the seventh on a run-scoring double from Cardoza.  Whitworth tied the game in the ninth when Memarian singled home pinch-runner Tristan Butts. 

After consecutive singles against Pirate closer Seth Mahler with one out in the bottom of the ninth, Cardoza drilled his hit to left-center for the game-winning RBI.

Memarian and Gray each had two hits and two RBIs in the game for the Bucs.

AJ Woodward made his first start on the mound for Whitworth and allowed five runs on five hits, two walks and three hit batters in 3.2 innings.  Four relievers followed, including Pirate debuts for freshmen Luke Nikunen and Owen Schneider.  Mahler dropped to 0-2 this season.

Johnathon Lewis was the starting pitcher for Whittier and he allowed four runs (3 earned) on five hits and two walks in 5.0 innings.  Aaron Cazares (1-0) got the win with two-thirds of an inning.

Whitworth's challenging non-conference schedule continues next weekend with a four-game series at NCAA Div. II Saint Martin's University.