ORANGE, Calif. — The University of La Verne baseball team's postseason hopes were dashed as it settled for a split a doubleheader against Chapman on Saturday at Hart Park.

The Leopards needed to win out at a mininum heading into the day and got off to a good start, earning a 11-7 victory in the first game, but couldn't sustain the momentum in a 10-3 loss in the nightcap.

La Verne moves to 17-18 overall and 10-14 in the SCIAC. Chapman goes to 22-14 and 16-8.

The Leopards fell in an early hole in the first game but the bats came alive in the middle innings en route to the win.

Trailing 4-1, La Verne loaded the bases with one out and cashed all the runners as Nicholas Michaels pushed one in with a walk and Christopher Arcos came through with a two-run double. The Leopards then took a 5-4 lead on a sacrice fly by Andrew Douglas.

The Panthers tied the game in the next half inning on an error but the Leopards scored three more runs in the top of the sixth on a walk by Jakob Thomas and a two-run single by Michaels.

Thomas capped off the Leopards' burst with a two-run homer in the top of the seventh that gave the Leopards their final lead.

Alex Bernstein pitched 3.1 innings of one-hit ball while striking out five to finish the game and earned the save.

An error cost La Verne seven runs in the bottom of the fourth inning in the second game and the Leopards couldn't claw back. A fielding miscue at second with two outs extended the inning for Chapman and the Panthers put together four hits, a walk and a hit by pitch to break the game wide open.

The Leopards are back in action on Wednesday when they host Chapman for the first of "Final Four" SCIAC regular season games. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.