TUCSON, Ariz. – After dropping the first game of its spring break trip to Arizona, the University of La Verne softball team bounced back with three wins over Grinnell, Marian (Wisc.) and Augsburg on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Game 2: La Verne 9, Grinnell 0 (5 innings)
La Verne rode dominant pitching and exploded for six runs in the 4th inning to beat Grinnell, 9-0, in five innings in the second game on Tuesday.
Lyndsay Godwin got the start and threw four scoreless innings while striking out six and giving up only two hits. Laura Olson finished it off with a clean 5th inning.
Olsen also had a hit and two RBIs on offense.
The Pioneers kept within striking distance for the first three innings, but the Leopard bats came alive in the 4th and got some help from the Grinnell defense. Rebecca Ireland singled and stole second to lead off the innings and Breeanna De La Rosa immediately followed with a triple to bring Ireland home. Katie Thompson then brought in De La Rosa with a sacrifice fly to right. The Pioneers then committed three fielding errors, which allowed four more runs to cross the plate.
La Verne opened the scoring in the 1st with a Raven Freret double after De La Rosa got on with a single.
The Leopards added two more in the 3rd. Freret doubled, Breanna Delgadillo reached on an error and Amanda Chavez and Melissa Sponholz followed with RBI singles to bring the runners in.
Grinnell never really threatened. The Pioneers had two on in the top of the 4th after Lydia Stariha led off with a single and Summer Wilke walked with two outs, but Godwin got the following hitter to pop up to get out of the inning.
De La Rosa, Freret and Chavez each had two hits.
Game 3: La Verne 8, Marian (Wisc.) 0 (5 innings)
The offense broke the game open in the middle innings again, Rachel Hong pitched a five-inning shutout and La Verne dispatched its second opponent in a row in five innings, beating Marian, 8-0.
After taking a 4-0 lead into the bottom of the 5th, the Leopards had a pair of two-RBI hits, ending the game on a Mackenzie Dutton double that scored Chavez and Delgadillo. Delgadillo had drove in two herself earlier in the inning.
Dutton had a big day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with four RBIs. The sophomore singled in Chavez in the 2nd and plated Katie Cunningham in the 4th with another single.
Chavez also went 3-for-3 and scored three runs. De La Rosa also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.
Ireland, Freret, Delgadillo, Cunningham and Alexis Schiff all had a hit for the Leopards.
Rachel Hong gave up only three hits while striking out four in five innings. She did not walk a batter.
Game 4: La Verne 4, Augsburg 2
In what was the closest game of the Tucson Invitational so far, La Verne came back from an early 2-0 deficit to beat Augsburg, 4-2.
Olsen got off to a bit of a rocky start, giving up the two runs in the 1st inning—both unearned—but Hayley Jaquess came in with two outs in the inning and completely shut the door on the Auggies, going the distance without giving up a run the rest of the way.
Jaquess's final line was 6.1 innings pitches, six strikeouts, two hits and a walk allowed.
La Verne opened its scoring in the 3rd. The Leopards loaded the bases with one out and scored two runs on a fielding error by the center fielder. Jacklyn Duran doubled to score Chavez and give the Leopards a 3-2 lead.
Freret homered to lead off the 5th to give the Leopards a little breathing room down the stretch.
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