CLAREMONT, CA – The Leopards traveled to Claremont today to take on the CMS Stags on the Pomona-Pitzer field in the final two games of the SCIAC regular season. Both teams forced the fans to wait until the final game of the season to find out who would claim the 2023 regular season SCIAC Championship, and a first place Tournament seating.
GAME 1. CMS connected first, scoring three in the bottom of the second inning, and another in the third. The game stayed 0-4 Stags through the top of the 9th when La Verne's Miguel Espana singled to left field to score Benny Vogel and put the Leopards on the board. Jack Janes singled through the right side to score Logan Reese for Leopard run number 2, but it wasn't quite enough and the Stags took the win 4-2.
GAME 2. The Leopards went right to work in the first inning behind the pivotal play and baserunning of Anthony Salcedo who singled and then stole second. Taking advantage of the line out by Chase Siffert, Salcedo stole third before crossing home plate off Cameron Slessor's ground out to short - giving La Verne the 1-0 lead.
The bottom of the third found CMS in the lead 3-1 after a two-run jack to center field, and an RBI double to right center. The Leopards responded in kind with an RBI single by Malachi Francois in the fourth, and a 2 RBI single to right center by Anthony Salcedo, bringing home both Francois and Matthew Diaz and putting the La Verne in the lead, 4-3. CMS responded with a run of their own, and tied the score 4-4 before the inning ended.
The 5th and 6th innings were all La Verne. In the 5th Matt Diaz doubled down the right field line and earned 2 RBI's, grabbing the lead back for the Leopards, 6-4, and bringing both Logan Reese and Nathan Perry across home plate. Noah Garcia homered to center field for 2 RBi's in the 6th to bring the score up to 9-4 Leopards.
The door closed on the Stags in the 8th inning, when La Verne Cameron Slesssor stole home from third on a failed pick off attempt by CMS.
With the win the Leopards are the 2023 SCIAC Champions, and will hold first seed going into the Conference Tournament this week. Game one will be Thursday at 3pm, when La Verne hosts the Kingsmen of Cal Lutheran on Ben Hines Field.
(photo by Cyanna Rosa)
