Leopards split on the road, move into tie for 1st

ORANGE, Calif. — Christopher Peres notched two RBI in game one and picked up the save in game two as the Leopards salvaged a split on the road against the Chapman Panthers Saturday afternoon. 

Season Impact: The Leopards move into a tie for first place in the SCIAC with Redlands. La Verne's SCIAC record improves to 16-5 and 25-12 overall. 

Chapman now stands at 27-10 overall and 12-9 in SCIAC play.

Game One: Chapman 8, La Verne 6

Jakob Thomas and Peres each totaled two hits and two RBI and the Leopards over came an early four-run deficit when they plated four runs in the top of the fifth. But Chapman responded with four more runs of their own to take game one.

After La Verne evened the game, Chapman scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning.

The Leopards responded in the seventh with Christopher Ligot leading off with a single then taking second on a wild pitch. After a Thomas walk, Peres doubled in Ligot with a shot to left. Brandon Vogel stepped up next, bringing in Thomas to cut the deficit to one.

Chapman responded again with an insurance run and held on for the win.

Cody Norman struck out four in his start, pitching four innings and taking the loss. Hayden Firth pitched four innings of relief with four strikeouts.

Game Two: La Verne 6, Chapman 4

La Verne scored three runs in back-to-back innings to beat the Panthers in game two.

Ligot went 4-5 at the plate and scored twice. Nicholas Michaels added two RBI and two hits of his own.

Travis Moffat picked up the win with two and a third innings of relief, striking out four. Peres picked up his seventh save of the year, striking out four with no walks.

With La Verne trailing 3-0 in the third, Ligot led off with a single and Ryan Aguilar brought him in with a single to left. Later in the inning with the bases juiced, Adam Santa Cruz was hit by a pitch to send another run across the plate. Vogel stepped up next with a sacrifice fly to even the game.

The Leopards kept the runs coming the next inning when Michaels tripled to score Thomas and Ligot. Santa Cruz stepped up next with a double to put the Leopards ahead 6-3.

Next Series: The Leopards face the Whittier College Poets in their next series. La Verne opens the three-game stretch on the road Friday, April 27 at 3 p.m.