REDLANDS, Calif. — The University of La Verne softball team rode red-hot offense to sweep Redlands on Friday at the Field of Dreams and clinched a spot in the 2015 SCIAC Postseason Tournament.
With the wins, the Leopards improve to 16-10 in the SCIAC and Redlands falls to 11-15.
The Leopards compiled 11 runs on 17 hits to beat Redlands, 11-6, in the first game.
Alexis Schiff launched a SCIAC-leading 10th homer, Katherine Kibbe went 4-for-5 and three other Leopards collected three hits apiece.
Kibbe (11-5) registered her 12th complete game of the season in the circle, striking out nine and giving up three earned runs in seven innings.
The Leopards scored early and often. Danielle Vella walked and Rebecca Ireland doubled to lead off the game, and Schiff cashed them in with a seeing-eye single through the right to give the Leopards an early 2-0 advantage.
The Leopards continued their offensive onslaught in the second. Amanda Chavez led off with a double to right, advanced to third on a passed ball and came home on a single up the middle by Raeleen Tellez. Then with two outs, Irelands singled to drive in Tellez, Mackenzie Dutton doubled to bring Ireland home and Kibbe capped off the inning with a single to plate Dutton.
The Bulldogs took advantage of three walks and La Verne fielding miscues to score five runs in the fifth, but the Leopards answered immediately. The Leopards loaded the bases in the top of the sixth and came up with a single, a sacrifice fly and another single to push across three runs.
Kibbe got into another bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the sixth but snatched a line drive hit right back at her and induced a groundout to end the inning.
In the second game, Schiff hit her 11th home run and Katie Cunningham left yard for the first time this season as the Leopards beat the Bulldogs, 10-4.
Hayley Jaquess turned in a gritty performance in the circle, going all seven innings while giving up three earned runs to pick up her eighth win of the season.
Cunningham pulled on over the wall in right field in the second inning to put La Verne up 4-0 and the Leopards never looked back.
Schiff hit a two-run shot of her own in the fourth inning.
Redlands got within 7-4 with two runs in the bottom of the sixth but the Leopards once again had an answer and pushed across three insurance runs in the seventh to seal the win. Ireland drove in two runs with a double and Schiff added an RBI single.\
La Verne returns to action tomorrow against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps at home. Before the first game of a doubleheader, the Leopards will honor their seniors with a brief pregame ceremony. First game starts at noon.
