ORANGE, Calif. – The University of La Verne softball team tagged one of the best pitching staffs in the SCIAC with 15 runs on 21 hits in two games as they swept Chapman on Tuesday at El Camino Real Park.
Game 1: La Verne 6, Chapman 4
La Verne scored all the runs it would need in the first two innings as they beat Chapman, 6-4, in Game 1.
After a leadoff out, BreeAnna De La Rosa shot one over the head of the center fielder for a triple and Raven Freret cashed her in with a single to put the Leopards on the board in the top of the first. Two batters later, Alexis Schiff doubled in Freret to give the Leopards a 2-0 lead.
The Leopards added three more in the second, all with two outs. Laura Olson drew a walk, stole second and scored on a Danielle Vela double to left. Vela then scored on an error by the second baseman and Schiff came through again for the Leopards with an RBI single later in the inning for the game winning run.
Chapman scored in the second, the fourth and the fifth, but La Verne starter Hayley Jaquess avoided giving up a big inning.
Jacquess went the distance, giving up one earned run while striking out five.
Danielle Vela was a home run shy of the cycle, going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.
Amber Perez hit a solo home run for the Panthers in the fifth.
Game 2: La Verne 9, Chapman 6
In Game 2, La Verne inflicted most of the damage later in the game. The Leopards scored eight runs in the final four innings—scoring at least a run in each—to defeat the Panthers, 9-6.
Chapman scored two on a two-out single by Taylor Cartwright and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. But La Verne pitcher Katherine Kibbe snagged a liner hit back to her by Lisa Perez to preserve the win for the Leopards.
La Verne got on the board first when Chapman left fielder Amy Serven misplayed the hop on a Freret single. Vela, who had walked to lead off the game, came all the way around to give the Leopards a 1-0 lead.
La Verne added three more in the fourth on a double by Katie Thompson and RBI singles by Vela and Rebecca Ireland.
Chapman kept at La Verne's heels with a pair of runs each in the fourth and the fifth, but the Leopards had an answer each time as they kept the Panthers at arm's length. Kibbe tripled in Rachel Hong and scored on a groundout by Thompson in the fifth. Olsen led off the sixth with walk and scored on an error by the second baseman, and De La Rosa doubled in Vela, who had reached on the error.
Despite a couple of miscues behind her Kibbe battled in the circle and pitched all seven innings. The sophomore finished with three strikeouts and went 2-for-3 at the plate.
Freret and Ireland each had two hits.
Cartwright was 2-for-4 with a game-high four RBI for the Panthers.
The Leopards will conclude their 2014 season at Pomona-Pitzer on Saturday.
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