LA VERNE, Calif. — The University of La Verne softball team swept the defending SCIAC Champion Whittier behind strong performances from Alexis Schiff and Katherine Kibbe on Saturday at Campus West.

Hayley Jaquess was effective in six innings and Schifff hit a dagger two-run home run to lift La Verne past Whittier, 5-2, in the first game.

Schiff sent one over the the right center field wall in the bottom of the fifth in an immediate response to Kacey Whitney's two-run homer in the top of the inning that had brought the Poets within a run.

Jaquess gave up a leadoff single in the top of the sixth but retired the next three batters in order and Lyndsay Godwin came on to pitch a scoreless seventh to preserve the win for La Verne.

Jaquess (4-1) went six innings while giving up one earned run and struck out three.

Schiff finished 2-of-3 with two RBI and two runs. Melissa Garcia and Raeleen Tellez also had two hits each.

La Verne broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the third with a Rachel Ogata double and added two more in the bottom of the fourth as it strung together four singles and a walk to start the inning.

Samantha Blum (5-4) was charged with a loss as she gave up five runs on 10 hits in six innings.

Whitney, Marialena Ahern and Natalia Sanchez each got a hit for the Poets.

Kibbe starred in the circle and at the plate as the Leopards blanked the Poets, 6-0, in the nightcap.

Kibbe threw a complete game shutout while scattering just three hits and fanned seven batters. She also did some damage at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a solo homer in the top of the fifth.

Schiff hit her second home run of the day in the bottom of the sixth, driving in two to seal the game for the Leopards.

La Verne got all the runs it needed in the bottom of the first. Carly Condon led off with a walk, Victoria Baltazar followed wit ha single and Mackenzie Dutton pulled a single through the left side to get the Leopards on the board. With runners on first and third, Kibbe dropped down a perfect squeeze bunt to plate Baltazar and reached safely. Sienna Kendricks added one more with a single to left field to give the Leopards a 3-0 lead.

The Leopards are back in action on Thursday at home against Dallas.