Dee Dee Burns broke a 4-4 tie with a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to help propel the University of La Verne softball team to a 5-4 triumph over Division II Lake Superior State University (Mich.) Wednesday afternoon at Wheeler Park.
With two out in the eighth, Burns hit a single into center field to score Daryn Schiveley from third base for the walk-off win. The victory allowed the Leopards to improve to 10-2 on the season. The visiting Lakers fell to 3-4.
Schiveley led off the frame with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Candice Nunez and reached third base on a passed ball. Danielle Vela lined to second base for the second out, setting up Burns' game-winning hit.
Lake Superior State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third on a double from Heather Cuthrell to score pinch-runner Haleigh Edgar from third base. In the top of the fifth, the Lakers went up 2-0 on a leadoff double from Felicia Gingrich, who advanced to third on a single from Karrie Jaynes, and later scored on a Leopard double play.
La Verne answered in the bottom of the fifth with four runs. Vela led off with a single and advanced to second on a single from Amanda Hastings. After Tara Allis reached to load the bases, Raven Freret singled to left to score Vela, and an error by the Laker leftfielder allowed Hastings and Allis to score for a 3-2 Leopard lead. Jackie Duran belted a single to left to plate Freret to put La Verne on top 4-2.
The Lakers battled back in the top of the sixth, collecting two hits in the frame while also taking advantage of two Leopard errors to knot the game at 4-4. Alyssa Avila's RBI single scored Cuthrell, and a La Verne throwing error allowed Amanda Maxon to score from third base to tie the game.
Laura Olson notched her seventh win of the season, pitching the final three innings in relief for the victory.
The Leopards totaled 12 hits in the game, with Burns collecting three hits in five plate appearances. Vela went 2-for-3 while Breeanna De La Rosa finished 2-for-4.
La Verne resumes conference play when its takes on Pomona-Pitzer in a SCIAC doubleheader in Claremont beginning at noon.
