by Chris Piantino
Assistant Sports Editor
The University of La Verne’s baseball team dropped a pair to Cal State San Bernardino last Saturday. The first game ended with the score 9-3, and the nightcap 10-5. It was not totally unexpected. Head Coach Owen Wright said, “There is only two ways to lose a game, either you beat yourself or you get beat by a better team. We got beat by a better team today. San Bernardino was 33-5 last year, with almost the whole team returning this year, with some top freshmen recruits helping.”
Wright said that after this week, he will be able to determine how strong his team is for the season. Although he used these games as a feeling-out process, he said this loss is not an indication of things to come.
“The team has a great attitude, and hitting is our strong point, with senior Ron Hubel and junior Alan Macleod leading the way,” added Wright.
In the first game, ULV took the lead, 1-0, in the first inning. After two outs, Hubel (4 for 7 and 2 RBI’s in both games) doubled and scored on a single by Macleod (3 for 8 and 4 RBI’s in both games.) Then the pitchers took over and held the game at 1-0 until CSUSB came to bat in the top of the sixth.
With one out, Al Hernandez doubled, and Rich Hanlin hit a two-run homer for the Coyotes. This seemed to turn the momentum toward the visitor. In the top of the seventh, San Bernardino erupted for four runs. The eighth inning proved no different as the Coyotes scored twice, but the Leos came back and scored once. In the ninth the visitors scored another run, and in the bottom of the inning, ULV scored once more to make the final score 9-3.
The second game started out much better for the Leos as junior outfielder Macleod hit a home run to give ULV a 1-0 lead. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth, when Hubel walked and Macleod hit his second home run in as many at bats. This home run cleared the tennis courts and landed across the street.
Then came inning number five, when the Coyotes scored six runs. ULV came back with one of its own in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-4.
The visitors then scored three more in the seventh as the Leos scored once again in the bottom of their inning. CSUSB scored once again in the ninth for a final score of 10-5.
Coach Wright believes the Leopards can challenge for the SCIAC championship and that Claremont is their stiffest competitor. If the pitchers are able to stay ahead in the count and the hitting keeps coming along, Coach Wright thinks he could field a strong team.
The Leopards will play a split doubleheader today with the first game against Caltech starting at 2:30 and they will play Sonoma St. in the nightcap beginning at 8 p.m. La Verne then travels to Caltech tomorrow for another doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
