by Laura Czingula
Editor in Chief
Last weekend, the University of La Verne softball team split with last season’s Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) champion, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, in a doubleheader, winning the first game, 4-3 and losing the second game, 8-7.
“The first game we were behind in the sixth inning 1-0,” said senior pitcher Amber Hall. “We came back and scored four, then they came back and scored two. It was a big win because they won conference last year.”
However, Tuesday’s nonconference game against Point Loma Nazarene College did not go the same way.
The 13-5 Crusaders defeated La Verne (4-4) in a doubleheader, 9-1, 9-1.
The big hit in the first game came when center fielder Tara Kelly hit a grand slam home run out of the Leopard field, bringing the score board, 5-0, Point Loma.
However, the grand slam did not discourage the Leopards. Joey Miller from Point Loma hit toward right field to senior third baseman Liz Lomeli to end the inning.
Even though La Verne was making contact with the ball, they could not finish and were unable to score in the third inning.
They were still determined to win and were not giving up. The Leopards held Point Loma from getting on base, with three outs in a row in the inning.
In the fourth inning, Point Loma scored another run when Coreena Castanon had an RBI single and brought home Kelly to take the score to 6-0.
La Verne finally scored when Hall hit the ball to left field for an RBI and for the first run for the Leopards of the afternoon.
The first game ended 9-1 Point Loma, and the second game went much the same way.
This time it was Miller who hit a home run with the bases loaded, with the score already at 3-0.
The Leopards pulled themselves out of the inning when Sumer McMahon hit a pop fly to Lomeli for the third out.
Just when the Leopards looked like they were in the game with runners on first and second base with no outs, the Crusaders held and would not let La Verne cross the plate.
On defense, La Verne was battling. Junior center fielder Lindsey Weber caught a long hit into center field for an out, and junior shortstop Kari Abbott made a great jump catch for another.
With freshman Melissa Macias at the plate and Abbott on third base, Macias doubled and brought home Abbott for the RBI and the first run of the second game. Even though the Leopards had no errors in the second game compared to Point Loma’s two. The game ended 9-1, Point Loma.
“We battled back every time, but we just didn’t get lucky,” said Hall.
La Verne plays Biola today at 2 p.m. and also tomorrow at noon against Redlands.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.