by Enrique Gutiérrez
Staff Writer
When the University of La Verne baseball team was losing 4-0 after one inning during Sunday’s California Classic championship game, it knew what a team effort meant.
“We all pull for each other, if one guy screws up, the next guy picks up for him,” said junior right fielder and tournament Most Valuable Player Garren Injijian. “There is no one guy that leads the team. Everybody is a team leader out here.”
The Wisconsin La Crosse Eagles started the game with six hits in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs off ULV’s starting pitcher sophomore Rubén del Castillo.
But the Leopards know what it takes to win games and came back to win this, 9-5, and the tournament’s championship.
La Verne reacted in the second inning scoring two runs. The Leopards opened the inning with back-to-back hits by junior designated hitter/pitcher Kyle Spielbuehler and Injijian. Both eventually scored.
Del Castillo would not allow another run. He was relieved by sophomore Robert Hernandez entering the bottom of the fifth inning. At that point the Leopards had a 7-4 lead.
Hernandez pitched four solid innings allowing one run and striking out four batters.
He was the game’s winner, improving his record to 2-2.
“They’re a pretty good team,” Hernandez said. “We beat them because we came through on defense and just played catch. We get stronger every day, we’ll hopefully make the playoffs.”
La Verne (16-4) ended the tournament undefeated with a 4-0 record.
“We, as a group, everybody, they might not be playing all the time, but everybody is contributing which is huge, it’s really important,” said coach Bobby Lee.
On their route to the crown, the Leopards played an intense semifinal game against the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth earlier Sunday.
Before the game, Lee said their chances were good, but he explained “it’s like the Lotto. You have to be in it to win it.”
He probably did not have an idea of how right he was. The Leopards got into a dramatic fashion game, one for the memories, that could have gone either way. Luckily enough senior first baseman Russell Riehl had the winning number.
After taking a 4-2 lead at the end of one inning, La Verne never trailed.
The scored board signaled a 6-6 tie after six innings.
ULV re-took the lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth.
But U Mass was not done. In its last at-bat, U Mass hit a three run bomb to tie the game at nine.
With the bases loaded and one man out, Riehl, an All-Tournament selection, stepped to the plate and drove in the game-winning RBI that left U Mass’ defense standing still on the grass of Ben Hines Field.
“That was the most exciting game I’ve ever played in, by far,” Injijian said.
“It came down to who wanted the game more and I know La Verne wanted it.
“We were not going to quit. We’re a bunch of battlers, we are not losers.”
That was also La Verne’s ticket to the big championship crash against La Crosse.
The Leopards began the 12-team tournament by defeating Allentown College on Saturday.
The game was called after sixth and a half innings because of the mercy rule when the Leopards held a 15-3 advantage.
Del Castillo (3-0) had a tremendous performance, pitching the seven innings for the Leopards and holding Allentown to seven hits and two runs. He struck out four batters and he did not walk anybody.
“Del Castillo pitched really well and we just continue to get better as our pitching works,” said Lee.
Injijian had one hit in five at bats, a grand slam. Riehl also hit a home run, scored three runs and had three RBI in a 2-of-3 performance at the plate.
The Leopards then played Menlo College.
La Verne had a 6-4 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning, when Menlo’s Kyle Izumigawa was not able to stop the Leopards any longer. La Verne rallied for four runs in the inning before Izumigawa was taken out of the ball game.
With a 10-4 lead, Lee decided to remove freshman pitcher Richard Searing. Senior Keith Freeman came in the game to ensure the Leopards’ victory.
It was Searing’s first win as a Leopard. He received offensive help from several players, including freshman catcher Nick Cordova who had five RBI going 3-of-5 at the plate with a double and a home run.
Spielbuehler also contributed with five hits in six at bats, scoring two runs. La Verne ended up winning 11-7.
“These are the most important games to be winning because these are the kind of teams we’ll be playing in the playoffs,” Injijian said.
In addition to Injijian and Riehl, junior shortstop Corey Rooper also made the All-Tournament Team.
