by Ryan Sones
Staff Writer
An injury-riddled University of La Verne women’s softball team dropped two double headers last weekend vs. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Redlands.
Getting off to a rocky start for the opening game of the weekend, La Verne lost by the conference’s eight run rule when the Athenas held a 9-1 lead after five innings.
Head coach Julie Kline said, “I think it is a reminder that we have to work harder because as you go along in the season the teams get better and harder to beat.”
Right from the start of the second inning CMS went up 5-0 with a combination of base hits and La Verne errors. From that point on the Athenas ran the bases chalking up their nine runs to ULV’s single run.
From the first inning of the second game with the Athenas, it looked to maybe be a replay of the first game. By the fourth inning CMS had bought four one way tickets around the bases and La Verne was still at the terminal, 0-4.
However, during the bottom of the sixth, the Leopard’s flight was in, as the lead off batter sophomore leftfielder Angel Mejico was hit by a pitch and given her free ticket aboard. Senior duties arrived as second baseman Jenna Bowman sent Mejico to second with a single and shortstop Laurie Grey bunted Mejico home. Bowman was then sent around via the bat of junior catcher Jamie Anderson.
Junior third baseman LaTeka Clayton put herself on first and advanced Garcia to second. Base hits from Mejico and Bowman earned La Verne another run. Grey earned another RBI with an infield sacrifice, bringing La Verne within one run. Sophomore center fielder Lindsey Weber balanced the scoreboard with her own RBI single 5-5 by bringing home Mejico. La Verne missed a window of opportunity to shut the door leaving the bases loaded at the end of the inning and sending the game into extra innings.
Anderson fainted as a result of a continuing ear infection in the middle of the inning, moving Grey behind the plate.
In the bottom of the eighth, Clayton beat out the throw to first for a hit. Bowman followed with another single and stole second in a double steal attempt that left runners at first and second. After the next double play La Verne’s hopes for the eighth were diminished.
At the end of the ninth ULV was unable to put anything together going down one, two, three, dropping their second game, 6-5.
Freshman pitcher Teresa DaValle went the distance for the loss.
“We just didn’t have the intensity needed to start the day,” said assistant coach Lisa Scott.
Saturday came, as did Redlands. The Bulldogs were able to get on the board first in the fourth with shortstop Ariana Bates singling and then being sent home by first baseman Krissy Lige.
Redlands managed agile swings of the bat off freshman pitcher Michelle Geiger for another run, putting them up 2-0.
After five innings, La Verne finally got their foot in the door and on the plate as Clayton singled, followed by a double off the bottom of the right-center field fence by Mejico to put runners at second and third. Bowman singled home Clayton and a single by Grey brought Mejico across the plate. With the bases loaded came senior first baseman Katie Miner as she ripped a line drive only to be caught by a closed eye third baseman that doubled up Weber at first, halting the ULV threat and leaving the score 2-2.
Redlands scored one more which turned out to be all it needed. ULV lost the first game of the doubleheader, 3-2.
“It is hard with all the injuries pulling together as a team especially when you have a lot of people playing out of position,” said freshman infielder Jamie Poole. “I also think we need to have more self-discipline at practice and then things will come together. We definitely have the potential.”
In the second game, the Bulldogs hit the score books early, scoring a run within the first three batters of the game taking advantage of an error made early by Bowman.
ULV retaliated quickly with a hit from lead off batter Mejico. Weber was then able to drive in Mejico from second base.
Redlands was quick to maintain a lead compiling three runs in the top of the third inning to regain the lead.
In the fourth and fifth ULV was able to rally for a run an inning but it was not enough due to a barrage of base hits throughout the remainder of the game, giving the Bulldogs the win in another eight run rule sixth inning. The final score was 11-3.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
