PASADENA — Andrew Douglas went 4-for-4 and four pitchers combined to throw a one-run game for the University of La Verne baseball as the Leopards beat Caltech, 3-1, at North Field on Wednesday afternoon.
With both Cal Lutheran and Pomona-Pitzer earning wins today as well, the Leopards remain in a three-way tie for first place at 18-7 in the SCIAC (21-4 overall). Caltech falls to 2-32 overall and 0-25 in SCIAC play.
La Verne staff did not give up an earned run. Brett Early (7-1) picked up the win after pitching 2.1 innings in relief of starter Javi Iniguez, who went 3.2. Alex Bernstein struck out four in two dominant innings and Nick Byrd shut the door with a perfect ninth to preserve the win for the Leopards.
Douglas broke the scoring seal in the top of the fourth with a single that drove in Jebbia but the Beavers immediately got the run back in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly.
Woody Reyes wreaked havoc on the basepaths in the top of the fifth to score the game-winning run. After beating out an infield single to third, he stole second, took third on a passed ball and came home on an RBI groundout by Tyler Watkins.
Douglas added an insurance run in the top of the eighth when he laced a double down the right field line to score Mark Jebbia.
The Beavers got a runner on base in each of the fifth and the sixth innings, but could not bring them home.
Derek Kearney pitched a complete game for the Beavers, but the offense could not back him up and he was tagged with the loss.
Watkins went 3-for-5 for La Verne and Jebbia finished 2-for-4.
Levine was 2-for-4 for the Beavers.
The Leopards are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Redlands. First pitch is at 3 p.m.