WHITTIER, Calif. — The La Verne softball dropped a pair of games at Whittier on Friday afternoon.

With the losses, the Leopards fall to 18-8 in SCIAC play and into a first-place tie with Claremont-Mudd-Scripps with two games left to play.

Game 1: Whittier 12, La Verne 2 (5 inn.)

La Verne starter Elisa Ponce didn't have her usual pinpoint control and Whittier blitzed the Leopards in a 12-2 win in the first game.

The Poets scored the game's first six runs before the Leopards got on the board in the top of the third inning on an RBI double by Carly Condon and a single by Sienna Kendricks to score Condon.

But Whittier broke through for five runs in the bottom of the third capped off by a three-run home run from Marialena Ahern to break the game open.

The Poets finished the game with eight hits and drew seven bases on balls.

Condon finished 2-for-3 at the plate. Angelica DeAngelo and Haley Gomez each added a hit.

Game 2: Whittier 4, La Verne 3

Whitter's Kacey Whitney hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to lift the Poets to a 4-3 win in the nightcap.

The Poets put up two runs in the first inning to grab early control but the Leopards came alive in the middle innings to take a 3-2 lead. Kendricks brought home Schiff in the third inning on a sacrifice fly to break La Verne's scoring cap and Melissa Garcia plated Shelby Tevis with a single in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. DeAngelo hit a one-out double in the top of the fifth and Haley Gomez laced one to right field to give the Leopards their first lead of the day.

Whittier had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth when Kalei Guillermo singled with two runners on but Condon shot Kaitlyn Garza out at home with a great throw to preserve La Verne's lead.

DeAngelo and Rachel Ogata each had two hits.

Whitney, Guillermo and Brianna Alvarez each had two hits for the Poets

Up next

The Leopards are back in action tomorrow at home for the final regular season doubleheader against Redlands.