LA VERNE, Calif. — Alexis Schiff unloaded a towering 3-run home run in the seventh inning against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps to lift the La Verne softball team to a 5-4 victory in a do-or-die championship elimination game on Sunday afternoon at Campus West.
With the Leopards trailing 4-1, Melissa Garcia led off the top of the seventh with a solo shot down the left field line that clanged off the foul pole to cut the deficit to 4-2. Shelby Tevis and Carly Condon then hit back-to-back singles to set the stage for Schiff.
Schiff, who was 0-for-2 with a walk up until that point, worked the count to full then slammed one over the center field fence to put the Leopards ahead 5-4.
Elisa Ponce (13-5), who came on in relief in the third inning, retired the Athenas in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the win for La Verne.
The Leopards were stymied by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps ace Anna Gurr for the first five innings of the game but broke through in the late innings. La Verne loaded the bases in the top of the six inning and Angelica DeAngelo came through with a single to break the Leopards' scoring seal.
Condon had two hits and scored two runs. Sienna Kendricks was 2-for-4.
Brianna Halle had two hits for the Athenas.
The win-or-go home championship game will start at 3:20 p.m