LA VERNE, CA — It looked like the University of La Verne softball team's unbeaten streak would end at five games but the Leopards pulled off some late-game heroics to sweep the Pacific Lutheran Lutes and keep their record unblemished.
Season Impact
The Leopards continue to roll and improve to 6-0 overall. The Lutes start their season 0-2.
Game Two: La Verne 5, Pacific Lutheran 4
Trailing 4-3 entering the bottom of the seventh with two out, the Leopards needed to generate some offense to continue their win streak. Standing on second base, Francheska Juarez took advantage of a wild pitch and darted towards third. The sophomore kept her eyes up, saw the ball still rolling on the ground, sprinted towards the plate, and dove headfirst under the tag to even the game 4-4.
POSTGAME: Fancheska Juarez talks about scoring the game-tying run in the Leopards' game 2 win over the Lutes #GoLeos #d3sb pic.twitter.com/YyNEUzArhN
— La Verne Leopards (@ULVAthletics) February 16, 2020
Kayla Giannatasio continued the momentum with a single to left field and then advanced to scoring position on a passed ball. That brought up Niyah Brown who answered her team's call in a big way. The junior transfer hit a shot back up the middle that sent Giannatasio barrelling around third and home for the game-winning run.
POSTGAME: Niyah Brown hit the game-winning RBI against Pacific Lutheran #GoLeos #d3sb pic.twitter.com/dwhvuQVD5w
— La Verne Leopards (@ULVAthletics) February 16, 2020
Brown finished with a pair of hits and a run. Justice Borden led the Leopards with two RBIs. The seniors recorded them both in the fourth when she doubled to right to give La Verne a 2-1 lead.
Natalia Aguilera put the Leopards up 3-1 in the fourth with an RBI single to right center. Clarissa Salazar and Aguilera each swiped a base in the win.
Jiana Rojo picked up the win in one and two-thirds innings of relief. Lexie Raasch struck out three in her start.
Trailing 3-2 entering the final inning, the Lutes caught a break off a pair of Leopard errors to load the bases with no outs. Mikayla Chun took advantage with a single to right center to score a pair of runs. Sydney Victor hit a solo home run to give Pacific Lutheran the initial 1-0 lead.
POSTGAME: HC Dennis Blas talks about the Leopards' sweep over Pacific Lutheran #GoLeos #d3sb pic.twitter.com/p5KdoLFguu
— La Verne Leopards (@ULVAthletics) February 16, 2020
Game One: La Verne 4, Pacific Lutheran 2
Borden drove in three of the Leopards' runs and Rojo earned a complete-game win as the Leopards picked up the win in Saturday's opener.
Borden got the Leopards on the board in the first inning when she brought in Katheryn Navarro with an RBI single to left In her next at bat, the senior doubled in Rojo and Taylor Gray to put La Verne up 3-0.
Rojo helped her own cause in the fifth when she singled in Navarro to extend the Leopards' lead. Rojo struck out seven batters in the win. After game two's result, Rojo improves her record to 4-0.
The Lutes got on the board in the sixth inning off a Chun two-run home run.
Next Game
The Leopards have their biggest test of the season on Sunday, February 23 when they host No. 11 Linfield in a doubleheader beginning at noon.
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