LA VERNE – The University of La Verne softball team allowed just one run in 12 innings as they swept Arizona Christian in a rare Monday doubleheader at Campus West on Monday afternoon.
Game 1: La Verne 2, Arizona Christian 1
La Verne starter Katherine Kibbe pitched a one-run complete game and Raven Freret provided the game-winning double in the 5th as La Verne beat ACU, 2-1, in Game 1.
Kibbe allowed a leadoff single and the Leopards allowed the runner score on a passed ball and a throwing error, but that was pretty much all Kibbe would give up as the sophomore limited the Firestorm to just one hit the rest of the way.
Kibbe gave up the second hit and a walk in the 2nd inning, but was flawless otherwise. Except for a fielding error in the 5th, she set down the Firestorm in order in the 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th innings. She finished with three strikeouts.
As good as Kibbe was, ACU starter Perez was matching her pitch-for-pitch and held the Leopards scored through four innings. But Rebecca Ireland drew a walk and Katie Cunningham took a pitch to the helmet to lead off the 5th. Two batters later, Freret drove a double to the gap in left center with two outs to bring both of them home and give the Leopards the final 2-1 lead.
Perez recorded nine strikeouts in six innings for ACU.
Freret had two of La Verne's four hits in the game. Kibbe and Alexis Schiff had one hit apiece.
Game 2: La Verne 8, Arizona Christian 0
The teams were locked in another pitchers duel until the Leopards exploded for six runs on five hits and a couple of ACU errors in 5th inning as they won, 8-0, in five innings in the afternoon-cap.
Cunningham led off the 5th with an infield single to short and advanced to third when ACU first baseman Patricia Porter dropped the throw on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Danielle Vela. The Leopards then successfully executed a double steal that scored Cunningham and BreeAnna De La Rosa and Freret followed with consecutive doubles to extend the lead to 5-0. La Verne then scored two more runs on an error and the Leopards walked off on an Ireland groundout RBI that scored Jacklyn Duran.
Lyndsay Godwin got the nod to start Game 2 and pitched five shutout innings. Godwin did allow a runner to reach in all five innings, but the defense came up with a couple of big plays and she displayed her ability to get out of jams.
With a runner on second in the 2nd inning, Godwin allowed a looping single to right that looked as if it would bring in the run. However, right fielder Mackenzie Dutton played the hop perfectly, relayed it to first baseman Kibbe, who then fired a perfect throw home to prevent ACU from getting on the board.
In the 5th, left fielder Cunningham dropped a routine fly ball that would've loaded the bases, but calmly picked it up and fired it to third for a force out. Godwin got the next batter to pop out to get out of the inning.
Freret once again led the Leopards with two hits and seven Leopards added a hit each.
Jennifer Lorenzi and Sherrie Irwin combined for four hits for the Firestorm.
The Leopards return to conference action on Friday when it hosts Whittier at Campus West. The first game starts at 2 p.m.
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