Lexi Giacobbe
Staff Writer
The Leopards’ magical playoff run ended with a 2-1 loss to Pomona-Pitzer in 10 innings on Sunday, capping off their appearance in the NCAA Super Regional at Ben Hines Field.
The weekend started out strong as the team emerged victorious with a 5-1 win over the Whitworth Pirates on May 16. The game was marked by efficient hitting, solid defense and strong pitching.
One big standout was senior pitcher Ethan Galindo, who gave up just one earned run in five innings of work and striking out five.
“Ethan does it all, he was a huge standout for us today and being home at the big park definitely can help him,” head coach Scott Winterburn said.
Galindo picked up his ninth win of the season.
“It feels really good to have home-field advantage whenever I pitch at home – it always puts me in a great mood,” Galindo said.
La Verne’s ability to capitalize on key opportunities, paired with a stellar performance from their pitching staff, ensured they maintained control from the first inning onward.
The game started with Whitworth having a scoring opportunity in the top of the first inning. Junior right fielder Kyle Memarian flew out to right field to begin the game, but grad student left fielder Aidan Morrison struck out swinging for the second out. Junior third baseman Caleb Gray then doubled to left-center field, placing him in scoring position with two outs.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, junior first baseman Carson Coffield reached on a fielder’s choice, and Gray was thrown out at third base to end the threat.
In the bottom of the first, La Verne quickly showed their offensive firepower. Junior shortstop Ryan Vosika singled through the right side to lead off the inning, and senior third baseman Jason Givens sacrificed him over to second with a bunt.
Junior catcher Nate Perry followed with a clutch single up the middle, bringing Vosika home and giving La Verne a 1-0 lead.
Senior designated hitter Matt Rice then grounded out to shortstop, advancing Perry to second base, but the rally ended as senior right fielder Logan Reese grounded out to second base, leaving Perry stranded on second.
Despite the early lead, the Leopards were far from finished.
“We did our normal routine,” Reese said. “Nothing changed, we kept our same winning mindset and competed every day.”
The second inning was another struggle for Whitworth. Senior shortstop Spencer Shipman struck out looking for the first out, and senior designated hitter Brock Molenda popped up to third base for the second out.
Senior second baseman Kevin Corder singled to right field, but was quickly caught stealing on a perfect throw from the catcher to second base.
La Verne continued to apply pressure in the bottom of the second inning.
Senior first baseman Noah Garcia struck out swinging to start the inning, but senior left fielder Nolan Anguiano singled to right field and was followed by senior center fielder Benny Vogel’s single through the left side, placing runners on first and second.
Junior second baseman Aidan Salcedo then got hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Vosika, who reached on a fielder’s choice, advancing the runners.
Vogel scored on the play, and Givens walked to bring in another run. Perry was hit by a pitch for a third run, and Rice struck out swinging to end the inning with La Verne ahead, 3-0.
“Our team is gritty, we will always battle and focus on every game and out one at a time,” Perry said.
La Verne added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth. Vogel struck out swinging to start the inning, but Salcedo doubled to right-center and advanced to third on a single by Vosika.
The bases were quickly loaded as Givens walked, and Perry sacrificed to center field, driving in Salcedo to increase the lead to 4-0.
Rice followed with another single, scoring Vosika to push the advantage to 5-0. Reese flew out to right field to end the inning, but La Verne had already done significant damage.
Whitworth showed signs of life in the fifth inning. Shipman struck out swinging for the first out, and Molenda singled to right field.
Corder also singled to left field, placing runners on first and second.
However, a wild pitch allowed both runners to advance to second and third, and then a double play off the bat of Garcia, where Molenda was out at third, ended the inning without any runs for Whitworth.
The La Verne defense kept Whitworth at bay throughout the game, and the Pirates were unable to produce any runs after the fifth inning.
Whitworth’s last chance came in the top of the ninth. Morrison was hit by a pitch, but Gray flew out to center field, Coffield struck out swinging, and Shipman also struck out swinging to end the game.
La Verne’s defense and pitching stayed strong as Whitworth struggled to find offense after the second inning. In the end, La Verne secured the 5-1 victory, highlighted by solid at-bats and key runs early in the game.
The Leopards followed with a 5-4 loss to McMurry on Saturday when an eighth inning comeback fell just a little short.
This set up a last chance elimination game against Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Pomona-Pitzer on Sunday. It was a tight, scoreless game until the Sagehens finally broke through for a run in the eighth. The Leopards tied up the game 1-1 on a Rice double in the bottom of the ninth inning. But the Sagehens put it away in the 10th inning to win, 2-1 and advance to the national tournament.
The Leopards finished their season 35-11 overall and ranked No. 10 nationally.
Lexi Giacobbe can be reached at alexa.giacobbe@laverne.edu.
Lexi Giacobbe is a senior communications major with an concentration in public relations. She is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine, a staff writer for the magazine, and previously served as a staff writer for the Campus Times. She is also a member of the University of La Verne volleyball team.
