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CMS sweeps La Verne, adds to woes

University of La Verne catcher David LaPeer blocks Claremont-Mudd-Scripps shortstop Scott Larson's attempt to return to first base, thanks to a perfect throw from junior right fielder David Riffle. Larson was tagged out on the play in the second game of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader. ULV was swept by CMS in the three-game series. / photo by Ryan Sones
University of La Verne catcher David LaPeer blocks Claremont-Mudd-Scripps shortstop Scott Larson’s attempt to return to first base, thanks to a perfect throw from junior right fielder David Riffle. Larson was tagged out on the play in the second game of Saturday afternoon’s doubleheader. ULV was swept by CMS in the three-game series. / photo by Ryan Sones

by Greg MacDonald
Sports Editor

When the University of La Verne baseball team won the 600th game under head coach Owen Wright one month ago, the Leopards seemed poised for a stellar 1998 season.

But since that milestone, ULV has ran into a slump, losing nine straight games.

The Leopards’ hard times were clearly evident this past weekend, as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags swept the three-game series from ULV, 13-12, 7-4 and 9-4.

“We just have to learn to start hitting the baseball better and go up there [to the plate] with a different frame of mind with people in scoring position and score them,” said Wright, whose team fell to 4-12 overall and 4-8 in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).

Steve Uejio, sophomore left fielder for CMS (8-6, 7-5), had the correct frame of mind when he was at the plate. He finished the series 5-for-11, including two two-run home runs in the third game, seven RBIs and five runs scored.

“They were pitches that I could hit; right time, right spot,” Uejio said of his two big flies. “Our team came together [during the series]. We are starting to gel now.”

Uejio’s first home run came in the third inning with one out off of senior pitcher Maynard McClarrinon. And after the Stags added four more runs over the next four innings, Uejio connected again, this time off of junior Matt Johnson, giving CMS a 8-3 lead.

La Verne got off to a good start in the third game, as junior second baseman Justin Ott singled to left field leading off the first inning. After a sacrificed bunt from senior shortstop Lyle Miller, junior right fielder David Riffle hit a 3-and-2 pitch deep enough to right field to score Ott from third base.

ULV had a chance for a big inning in the sixth, when it had two men on with one out.

Sophomore catcher David La Peer brought home a run when he grounded into a fielder’s choice, forcing sophomore pinch hitter Sean Glaze at second base. Junior pinch hitter Garren Injijian followed La Peer with an RBI single.

However, the inning ended when Ott singled, and La Peer, trying to score from second base, was thrown out at the plate.

The Leopards could have won two of the three games, but late inning rallies from the Stags, in both the first and second games, proved otherwise.

Game one saw La Verne comeback from a deficit of 9-4 by scoring eight runs over the final three innings.

Junior catcher Vince Zavala delivered a pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning and freshman second baseman David Languillat tripled in two runs in the top of the ninth inning, giving ULV a 12-10 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

But pitchers sophomore Seth Halverson and McClarrinon could not hold the lead, as Halverson allowed the first three men to get on base and McClarrinon surrendered a two-run single to sophomore shortstop Scott Larson. He then forced across the winning run by hitting freshman second baseman Nate Eisele with a pitch.

“It is pretty hard for a young team to come back from a tough loss like that,” Wright said.

However, the Leopards did come back the next day, playing near perfect baseball for nine innings behind the pitching Sean Glaze.

Unfortunately, the Stags matched ULV’s performance, keeping the game close the entire way.

Glaze was one strike from a complete game victory when freshman catcher Brian Bower singled on a 2-and-2 pitch and later took second on a wild pitch.

Glaze had the count full on Kristian Lolich-Beyer, freshman first baseman for CMS, before Lolich-Beyer singled home Bower for the tying run.

“I think Glaze pitched a great game. We just couldn’t pull it out,” said Zavala, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored against CMS and also had two RBI against Montclair.

“We’ve had a few problems pulling things [wins] out,” said Wright.

“Two different times we were one pitch away from winning that ball game,” he said. “It was a pretty good game, low scoring and well played.”

The Stags eventually pushed across three runs, two of which scored on sophomore center fielder Steve Flores, in the top of the 11th inning against ULV junior pitcher Justin Dospital.

“We are always working,” Zavala said. “We are going to try and get something to go. Something has got to work [for a win].”

The Leopards’ next contest Wednesday had the same result as the previous eight games, as Montclair scored a 12-6 victory over ULV.

Montclair scored six runs in the first three innings off sophomore pitcher Saul Hardin, but four of the runs were unearned.

Languillat did have a home run for the Leopards, but the six-run deficit was too much for La Verne to overtake.

La Verne hosts the California Tournament, running through this weekend. Ben Hines Field is also the home of the West Coast Classic March 21 and 22.

Greg MacDonald
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Ryan Sones
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