WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of La Verne baseball team used 18 hits to post a 17-8 win over No. 6 Ithaca (N.Y) College, 17-8, on Sunday at Rio Hondo College field.

Michael Reyes led La Verne's offense from the bottom of the order, going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, three runs scored and five RBI from the ninth spot. George Holland was 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Five other Leopards chipped in with two hits apiece.

For the second game in a row, eight of La Verne's starters recorded at least a hit and five had multiple RBIs.

The Leopards came out firing. Ithaca got on the board first with two run in the 1^st, but the Leos scored in each of the first six innings highlighted by a six-run 3^rd. With the game tied at 4-4, the Leopards loaded the bases on singles by Holland and Nolan Henley followed by a throwing error. Reyes then sliced a double to deep left to clear the bases. The Leopards scored three more in the frame on RBI singles by Pedro Espinoza and Holland -- who was batting for the second time in the inning -- and a sacrifice fly by Joe Winterburn to get out to a 10-4 lead.

La Verne scored three more runs in each of the next two innings to put the game out of the reach for the Bombers. The fourth inning featured RBI singles from Espinoza and Jebbia. The Leopards scored on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, a groundout double play and a single by Winterburn in the 5^th.

Brett Early was dominant in his relief appearance. The sophomore came on with two outs in the 5^th inning and finished the game off without giving up a run to earn the win. He struck out five and allowed only one hit in 4.1 innings.

In his last four appearances, Early has thrown 9.1 scoreless innings and gave up only five hits. He has struck out nine during that span and walked only one.

Christian Brown led Ithaca's offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Matt Connolly also had two hits and Colby Gee hit a two-run homerun in the third.