WHITTIER – Eight Leopard starters had at least one hit, but late fielding miscues cost the University of La Verne baseball team in a 7-6 loss to No. 5 Kean (N.J.) University on Saturday afternoon.

Leading 6-4, the top of the 9^th started harmlessly enough for La Verne. Phil Schick set down leadoff man Matt Meleo and induced Ryan Kelley to ground out after giving up a single to Tyler Smarslock. However, Andy Lopez extended the inning for Kean by drawing a walk and Ben White, who had come on as a defensive substitute for La Verne committed an error to load the bases for the Cougars.

Then, in a flashback to yesterday's game, Salvatore Taormina lined another one to the third baseman and Pedro Espinoza wasn't able to make the play, allowing Smarslock to score. Brock Podgurski then followed with a two-RBI single to left to put Kean up 7-6.

White walked with two outs in the bottom of the 9^th to start a last-gasp rally, but it wasn't to be.

La Verne spotted four runs to Kean in the middle innings, but used a big 5^th inning to tie the game. After two quick outs, Tyler Watkins drew a walk and George Hanna, Mark Jebbia, Joe Winterburn and Espinoza had four hits in a row to even the score at 4-4.

The Leopards took the first lead of the game on an RBI single by Winterburn in the 7^th and tacked on another run with a Watkins sacrifice fly that scored Nolan Henley.

Winterburn went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Hanna, Jebbia and Henley also had multi-hit games with two each.

Smarslock was 3 for 4 with three runs scored for Kean. Joe O'Connor and Podgurski each had two hits and two RBIs.

The Leopards will host No. 6 Ithaca for a single game 10:30 a.m. tomorrow and complete the three-game set with Kean 3 p.m.