LA VERNE, Calif. — The University of La Verne baseball team dropped the first game of a two-game midweek series 4-1 to No. 6 Kean at Ben Hines Field on Wednesday afternoon.

The La Verne offense was stifled for seven innings by Kean starter Christopher Rossi (2-0), who allowed just one run on one hit and three walks while striking out six Leopard hitters. Vinny Zanfordino earned his second save of the season by pitching two scoreless innings.

Mark Jebbia (1-2) took the loss despite giving up only one earned in in four solid innings.

Andrew Douglas had La Verne's only hit, a flare double to left field in the seventh inning.

Oddly enough, the hit wasn't involved in La Verne's lone run of the game. The Leopards scored in the fourth inning when Jakob Thomas led off with a walk, advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home when Rossi threw one past the first baseman on a dribbler by Mark Jebbia.

Kean got on the board early. Scott Durkin reached on a muffed grounder at short in the first inning and Salvatore Taormina singled to put runners at the corners for the Cougars. Kean then called a double steal with two outs, using Taormina as a decoy to score Durkin.

The Cougars worked two straight two-out hits—a double and a single—in the fourth to take a 2-1 lead and used a two-run home run by Matt Meleo in the eight to seal the victory.

The teams return to action tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Ben Hines Field.