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Softball hits Regals, then loses 2 in Thousand Oaks

The Leopards racked up six runs on Friday against Cal Lutheran's scoreless Regals. Greg Schmidt declared sophomore Libby Ramos safe as she slid into home plate past the Regals' pitcher Erin Neuhaus. / photo by Liz Lucsko
The Leopards racked up six runs on Friday against Cal Lutheran’s scoreless Regals. Greg Schmidt declared sophomore Libby Ramos safe as she slid into home plate past the Regals’ pitcher Erin Neuhaus. / photo by Liz Lucsko

by Matt Cresto
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne decided to put their bats to bed early last weekend against SCIAC contender Cal Lutheran. After shutting out the Regals at home on Friday in game one 6-0, the Leopards could not find their offensive fire power on Saturday, losing twice 3-1 and 1-0 in Thousand Oaks.

They were both disappointing losses for the Leopards, knocking them out of first place in SCIAC play, leaving soul possession to the Regals.

The Leopards took an early one to nothing lead in the series with a win over the Regals 6-0 on Friday. The Leopards did not start their offensive punch until the fifth inning when they put up a six run inning. The inning was largely put together by junior Kim Schrepfer’s grand slam.

Sophomore Libby Ramos helped pace the Leopards with a 2-4 performance on a double and triple. She scored once and drove in a run. Schrepfer and designated hitter Brandi Thompson each had two hits for the Leopards.

The Leopards got a solid performance by sophomore ace Mandy Tillema on the mound giving up just two hits and three strike outs going the distance for La Verne.

The Leopards tried to take that momentum into Saturday’s first game but were unable to get anything going offensively. Senior Robin Haaker held the Regals to just three runs, hoping it would be enough for her team to overcome.

The Regals got on the board first with a RBI double by senior Stephanie Cain in the first inning.

In the third, the Regals struck again. Senior outfielder Julie Gerughty doubled and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She then scored in the inning on an error by the Leopards, proving to be all the offense Cal Lutheran would need to put La Verne away.

In the sixth the Regals added an insurance run on an RBI single by senior Jenaye Brown scoring Kylie Gongola to make the score 3-0.

The Leopards made an attempt in the seventh, but were only able to spark up enough offense in the inning to score their only run of the day.

“We could not hit the ball to save our lives,” said sophomore Jackie Russo. “That day they just hit better than us.”

Game two on Saturday proved to be a pitchers’ duel. The Leopards turned back to right-hander Tillema to get them back on a winning track. The Regals looked to right handed junior Carrie Hardy to lead them to victory in the all important grudge match of the series.

The Leopards were only able to put up two hits in the game against Hardy. The game went into the bottom of the seventh with still no score.

Gongola led off the inning for the Regals with a triple. Tillema survived the scare and pitched her way out of the inning saving the 0-0 tie and allowing her team a chance to bat.

The Leopards could not get anything going in the top of the eighth even with the international tiebreaker rule that allows a runner to be placed at second base to start the inning.

The Regals were able to threaten again. Hardy was placed at second and was pinch run for by Erin Neuhaus. She was sacrificed over to third and scored the game winning run on a single by Jessica Armacost.

The win puts Cal Lutheran into first place and moved La Verne into second place.

“We should not have lost,” said La Verne shortstop Gina Meza. “They were both disappointing losses.”

The Leopards return to action today at Claremont at 2:30 p.m.

Matt Cresto
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Liz Lucsko
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