The University of La Verne baseball team kicked off the Arizona Desert Classic with a two game sweep over George Fox University on Thursday, rallying from a six-run deficit to win first game 9-8 in 10 innings before closing with a 17-14 slugfest triumph.
In the first game, George Holland delivered with sacrifice fly to center field in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Bryce Roenicke for the game-winning run.
After being down 8-2, the Leopards came back with a four-run sixth inning to cut the deficit to two. Roenicke led off the inning with a double through the right side. Mason Stoltenberg walked, followed by Jason Moralez who singled to score the first run of the inning. The bases were loaded after Cody Hazel was hit by a pitch. Kevin Knight hit an RBI single, followed by a ground out by Zach Canfield, who also scored a run. The final run of the inning came from a single by George Hanna.
Stoltenberg's homer over the left-center wall in the seventh inning put La Verne down by just one run. Another run was score off a Bruin error in the eighth inning to knot the game at eight. Holland's sac fly in the 10th inning finished off the Bruins in a 9-8 Leopard victory. Anthony Cerafice earned the win with four innings of work and five strikeouts.
In the second game of the doubleheader, La Verne's offense erupted with a six-run fifth inning and a four-run seventh inning in the 17-14 victory. The Leos also scored two runs in the first, second, and sixth innings with one in the third.
The game was highlighted by a pair of two-run homers in the sixth inning from Moralez and Holland. This was Holland's second homer of the game, with his first being a solo shot over the left field wall in the second inning.
The Leopards were led offensively by Roenicke who was 3-for-6 at the plate with 6 RBIs, 3 runs scored, and 2 doubles. Moralez was 3-for-5, 4 RBIs, 1 run scored, 1 double and a homerun. Senior Alan Heide earned the win.
La Verne improves to 6-1 on the season, while George Fox drops to 0-6.
The Leos will continue action in the Arizona Desert Classic tomorrow for a game against the University of Texas-Dallas. The game will begin at noon in Anthem, AZ.
