Borders Cuts Classes, Final College Start

WHITTIER — A grand going-away party was planned for Ila Borders on Tuesday at Whittier College. But she beat them to the punch.

Borders withdrew from classes at Whittier two hours before the game, making herself ineligible to play in the Poets’ season finale against Southern California College. Borders watched the game from the Whittier dugout.

Borders’ withdrawal from school allows her to concentrate on her next step, which she hopes will be a minor league contract. She says she’s involved in discussions with five teams, some from Japan and some from independent leagues in the United States.

“Right now I’m in emotional turmoil, I guess you can call it,” Borders said. “It’s anticipation. I want to know what I’m going to do, but at least I have a choice. That’s nice.”

Whittier Coach Jim Pigott knew Borders planned to withdraw from school--she intends to return to SCC next fall and complete her bachelor’s degree there--but the timing took him by surprise.

“It’s about the only disappointing thing about the whole experience with Ila,” Pigott said. “I wish she would have waited [to withdraw]. I think the guys would have liked to see her pitch one more time. I would have liked that too.”

So, no doubt, would the 75 fans who showed up for the inconsequential nonconference game Tuesday. At least they got to see a pretty decent game, which SCC won, 5-3.

Borders, who while at SCC in 1994 was the first woman to win a college baseball game, finished the season with a 4-5 record and a 5.22 earned-run average (low among Whittier starters) in 81 innings. She was 4-2 with a 4.89 ERA in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, helping the Poets finish fourth with a 13-8 record.

Her victory over Occidental Saturday was her final collegiate performance. She pitched 7 2/3 innings, giving up five runs in a 17-9 Whittier victory.