Softball blanks St. Katherine in opener

LA VERNE, Calif. — Katherine Kibbe pitched four shutout innings and hit a homerun to lift the University of La Verne to an 8-0 win over St. Katherine on Wednesday night at Campus West.

Kibbe blasted a solo shot over the left field fence in the bottom of the fourth to clinch a run-rule win for the Leopards and was lights out in the circle after giving up a hit to the leadoff hitter.

The Leopards went 10-for-21 at the plate as a team and five different players scored a run.

Mackenzie Dutton hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth and was 2-for-2 on the night with three RBI and a run scored.

"I am extremely pleased with our lineup going into the season," La Verne head coach Julie Smith said. "Having Rachel [Ogata] and Carly [Condon] set the table, which leaves our 3-4-5 hitters to their job. I was really pleased with how we started the game and how we didn't let up our energy."

The offense was in sync from the start. After freshman Ogata led off the bottom of the first with a double to center, Carly Condon and Dutton followed up with a triple and a single, respectively, to put the Leopards up 2-0.

Condon knocked in the first run of her career in the bottom of the second and Alexis Schiff singled in two more to give the Leopards a comfortable 5-0 lead.

Dutton, Schiff and Kibbe—La Verne's 3-4-5 hitters—combined to hit 5-for-8 with six RBI between them.

Kibbe struck out five to get the win and Hayley Jaquess finished it up with a clean fifth inning.

Condon was a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI, three runs and a walk. Victoria Baltazar was also 2-for-2.

Hanna Mehok got the lone hit for the Firebirds.

The Leopards will jump right into SCIAC play against Cal Lutheran on Saturday, Feb. 13 at Campus West.