by Laura Czingula
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne softball team ended its season with an overall record of 21-16 and a conference record of 17-7, coming in second place to Cal Lutheran University in SCIAC.
The Leopards had a tough schedule this year, playing teams like the No. 1 ranked team in the nation, Chapman College, whom they only lost to by one run, 6-5.
“We were intimidated the first game, said senior catcher Carmen Diaz. “When we played them we realized they weren’t all that good.”
They also played the No. 14 team in the nation, Buena Vista, Iowa, which the Leopards split with in a doubleheader, winning 4-1 in the first game, but then losing 4-1 in the second game.
“Buena Vista was our biggest upset of the season,” said head coach Julie Kline. “Being the 14th-ranked team in the nation and beating them was a wonderful accomplishment.”
They also played in the UC San Diego tournament, where they competed well against all-scholarship schools.
Losing only one senior on the team this year will leave a strong team for next year, since almost all of the players will be returning. Diaz is the only senior on the team, though she will be returning for two more semesters at La Verne to get her degree. She played at Rio Hondo College for two years and then came to ULV as a transfer.
“We should have won a lot of more games this year instead of splitting in our doubleheaders,” said Diaz. “We should have been right up there with Cal Lutheran.”
The Leopards split doubleheaders with Redlands (twice), University of San Diego, Whittier and Buena Vista.
Junior Loree Grey led the team in doubles with 11 and RBI with 21, followed by Diaz with 17 RBI. Diaz also led the team in hitting with a .362 average, followed by junior Kelly Perkins, who hit .336. The team ended the season with a .295 overall batting average.
The Leopards won 8 of 10 at the beginning of the season, and throughout the rest of the year never lost more than two games in a row. “We had a 21 win season, it’s an accomplishment in itself,” Kline said.
