LA VERNE, Calif. — The University of La Verne softball team jumped out to early leads, Katheryn Navarro hit three home runs, and the Leopards swept St. Katherine in a pair of nonconference games Saturday afternoon at Campus West.
Season Impact: The Leopards improve to 3-2 overall this season.
Game One: La Verne 7, St. Katherine 6
The Leopards jumped out 3-0 lead in the first inning, Katheryn Navarro left the yard in the third, and the Leopards held off a late rally by the Firebirds to beat St. Katherine 7-6 in game one of their doubleheader.
With La Verne already leading by three in the bottom of the third, Navarro added to the Leopards' lead with a solo shot to right field. The Leopards have hit three home runs in as many games. Navarro finished the game 3-4 at the plate.
The Leopards benefited from three St. Katherine errors in the first inning to take the early lead. After Carly Condon reached on a throwing error, Michelle Deguzman doubled to put the pair in scoring position. Shelby Tevis then reached first on a fielder's choice and Condon and DeGuzman both crossed the plate after another throwing error. Tevis then scored on another Firebirds' error to cap off the inning.
Elisa Ponce got the win in the circle for La Verne, pitching five and a third innings, striking out four, and giving up no earned runs.
La Verne added a pair of runs in the fourth after Rachel Ogata scored on a wild pitch and Tevis drove in Condon with an RBI single to center field. Tevis finished the game with two hits and a run scored.
The next inning, Ogata laid down a bunt single to score Sienna Kendricks in what proved to be the difference maker.
St. Katherine made a late push in the top of the seventh inning scoring five runs to cut the deficit to just two runs. But Ponce stepped back into the circle and forced Natalia Ledesma into a pop fly to end the game.
Game Two: La Verne 7, St. Katherine 1
The Leopards got off to another hot start in game two scoring five runs in the first inning on their way to their second win of the day.
Navarro got the scoring started for the Leopards, hitting her second jack of the day, this time a three-run bomb bringing in Tevis and Deguzman for the opening 3-0 lead. Later in the sixth inning, Navarro hit her third home run of the day, this time a solo shot over the left field fence.
Haley Gomez added an RBI single in the first to score Kendricks, and Angelica DeAngelo came home a few pitches later off a wild pitch.
DeAngelo had a big game at the plate finishing with three hits. The catcher nearly added a home run but was robbed at the fence in the sixth inning. Kendricks also had a multi-hit game, notching two hits.
Navarro earned the win pitching five innings, striking out three while giving up just three hits and one earned run. Ashley Caro stepped in for two innings of relief.
Next Game: The Leopards open SCIAC play against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps on Saturday, February 10 at home. The doubleheader starts at noon.