WHITTIER, Calif. – After dropping the first game of a three-game series against Pacific (Ore.) on Sunday, the University of La Verne baseball team bounced back with a doubleheader sweep on Monday at Rio Hondo College behind strong pitching performances.

Game 1: La Verne 6, Pacific 4

La Verne jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead, but the offense stalled in the middle innings, Pacific came back to tie it and it looked as if this game was going to be a repeat of Sunday's game.

However, trailing 4-3 in the eighth, Pedro Espinoza smacked a bases-loaded double down the left field line to plate two runs, Josh Surdo sacrificed in another and the Leopards rallied for a 6-4 win in Game 1. 

Brett Early earned the win on the mound, tossing five relief innings to close out the game while striking out seven. He scattered four hits and gave up just on run.

Early took the mound in the fifth with the game tied at 3-3 in a two-on, no-out situation. He put out the fire by striking out the first two batters he faced and inducing a groundout to end the inning. His only run allowed came when Jimmy Brakebush sent one over the left field fence to give the Boxers a brief one-run lead.

The Leopards took the lead in the first when Joe Winterburn and Espinoza each singled home a run. The Leos added to it in the second when Jared Hovsepian drove in Ashton Edior, who had doubled and stolen third to lead off the inning.

Espinoza finished the game 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

Hovsepian was also 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

George Hanna, Mark Jebbia and Ashton Edior all had two hits each as well.

Donnie Bradley recorded a game-high three hits for the Boxers.

Game 2: La Verne 5, Pacific 2

Mark Jebbia hurled eight strong innings of two-run ball and La Verne defeated Pacific, 5-2, in Game 2.

Jebbia kept the Boxers scoreless for 7.1 innings until Ben Jaffe broke the shutout with a solo shot to left field in the eighth. His only other test came in the top of the 3^rd when he allowed three consecutive singles to lead off the inning. But he bore down and struck out Bradley out swinging and got Walker Olis to ground out into a 4-6-3 double play to get out of the inning unscathed.

Outside of the 3^rd and the 8^th, Jebbia had five 1-2-3 innings. He struck out six and gave up only five hits.

The Leopards got out to another early lead and kept it this time. In the first, Winterburn doubled in two and Ben White singled to bring Winterburn home to stake the Leopards to a 3-0 lead.

White doubled one in in the 4^th and singled another home in the 8^th for La Verne's final tally of the game.

Zach Quinones got the final three outs to earn the save for the Leopards.

White finished with three hits and three RBIs.

Henley had two hits and two runs scored.

The Leopards return to conference action next Friday when they host Pomona-Pitzer at Rio Hondo College at 3 p.m.