Nate Rodriguez

La Verne, CA – The University of La Verne beat the Centenary Diamond Gents 12-8 on Wednesday, marking the second victory in as many games against the team from Louisiana this season.

Both teams put on a hitting clinic but the Leopards managed 12 runs on 14 hits to eclipse another comeback victory in the early 2022 season. Five separate Leos finished with multi-hit days, led by designated hitter John Bike who smashed a go-ahead three-run home run halfway up the right-field netting in the bottom of the fifth to bring La Verne within one. With the score tied in the sixth, the team's RBI leader Brandon Shiota drove home two more runs to take a 10-8 lead. The Leopards had trusted submarine right-hander Alfredo Frey with the ball and controlled the tempo for the game's backend. Frey tossed three scoreless innings with two strikeouts before handing the ball over to Jerry Terry for his season's third save. The Leopards have averaged over 10 runs per game and are hitting .324 as a team through their season's first seven games. Having taken two of three contests against SCIAC opponents already, plus a ten-run comeback to tie Occidental College after eight innings, the Leos are poised to compete with strong conference play.

Their first SCIAC game of the season will take place on home turf at Ben Hines field on Friday, March 4 against the Redlands Bulldogs