Leopards rally for a win on the diamond

The University of La Verne baseball team earned a pair of key regional wins over the weekend by defeating non-conference rival Chapman University on Saturday in Orange before concluding with a come-from-behind 11-10 triumph over Pacific Lutheran Sunday at Ben Hines Field.

The Leopards have won three straight games to improve to 3-2 on the season heading into SCIAC play next weekend.

La Verne overcame a 7-2 decifit in the seventh inning to overtake Pacific Lutheran.   Mark Larini was the offensive hero for the Leopards against the Lutes, batting in both the game-tying and game-winning runs.

La Verne erupted for four runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull to within a run at 7-6, only to watch the Lutes add a pair of runs in the top of the eighth on a Geoff Gabler homer to give PLU a 9-6 advantage.  Back came the Leopards in the bottom half, as a Jon-Michael Hattabaugh RBI single was followed by a two-run single from Larini to knot the game at 9-9.

After the Lutes reclaimed the lead at 10-9 in the top of the 10th, the Leopards loaded the bases in the bottom half of the frame to set the stage for Larini, who delivered with a two-run double down the left field line that scored Hattabaugh and Allen Komori to end the game.  Komori pitched the final three innings to earn the win. 

Both teams registered 15 hits while the Leopards overcame three errors.  Larini totaled 4 RBI for the game on a 3-3 performance at the plate.  Victor Pinado tallied 3 hits along with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. 

A night earlier against Chapman, the Leos plated a pair of runs in both the fifth and seventh innings to take a 4-2 lead and finished with a three-run ninth inning to sweep the home-and-home set with the nation's second-ranked team in Division III.  The Leopards pounded out 13 hits highlighted by solo homers from Pinada and Kevin Ibarra. Pinado went 3-3 with 2 runs scored.

On the mound, the trio of Tim Jolly, Willie Patti and Grant Wheatley combined to allow two runs on five hits against Chapman as Patti earned the win while Wheatley registered a save.  Jolly struck out 7 batters in 4 2/3 innings of work.

La Verne opens conference action next weekend with a three-game set against Cal Lutheran, beginning with a single game Friday in Thousand Oaks followed by a doubleheader saturday at Ben Hines Field.