Lila Gongora
Staff Writer
The Leopards dominated during their Senior Day doubleheader against Redlands at Ben Hines Field on Saturday, bouncing back from a series-opening loss to the Bulldogs on May 1. Game one’s final score was 9-2, and game two’s score was 6-2.
After losing 7-6 at the Yard Baseball Field on May 1, the Leopards went into the doubleheader determined to secure their spot in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference postseason tournament.
The sweep made Senior Day extra special for graduating players.
“This place has honestly shown me how to just be a better man,” senior second baseman Aidan Salcedo said. “I learned a lot coming in as a freshman and turning into the man that I am today, and I owe that all to being in this program.”
After the previous day’s loss, La Verne was focused on falling back on their training and lessons learned throughout the season. The Bulldogs scored first in game one, putting up two runs against the Leopards, showing their strength at the plate yet again.
“We needed to work on our execution, especially when hitting,” senior first baseman Aaron Whobrey said. “Our pitching has been doing well, so we just needed to get it done for them on the offensive side.”
After a single up the middle from Salcedo in the third, senior shortstop Ryan Vosika scored a run. Senior catcher Nathan Perry and sophomore designated hitter Isaac Barrales both had RBIs, ending the third 3-2 in favor of the Leopards.
In the fourth inning, La Verne put up four more runs with Salcedo and Perry scoring. Junior center fielder Christian Takahashi and sophomore third baseman RJ Libby also came around to score.
Sophomore left-handed pitcher Lucas Quintana relieved sophomore right-handed pitcher Corbin Duffield in the sixth inning, throwing shutout ball the rest of the way.
“Today, I really wanted to come in and mix my two pitches, my splitter and my fastball,” Quintana said. “My goal was to get in there, throw strikes and let the defense do the work, so I felt really confident in everybody.”
Quintana also expressed appreciation for his seven senior teammates, who he said have shown leadership and have done their part in contributing to a winning record this season.
In the sixth, freshman outfielder Lucas Zayac scored on a wild pitch, giving the Leopards an 8-2 lead.
During the seventh inning, Salcedo doubled to right field, bringing in Libby for the last run. He ended the game with two RBIs and two runs.
The final score was 9-2 for the Leopards, securing them the fifth seed spot in the SCIAC postseason tournament. Their additional 6-2 win in game two was the cherry on top of a celebratory day for the graduating baseball players.
“We’re just trying to soak up today and have as much fun as possible,” said senior catcher Daniel Moreno. “It’s been four years playing here, so it means a lot to me.”
La Verne finished the regular season 22-17-1 overall and 14-10 in conference play.
The Leopards opened the SCIAC tournament with a 2-1 win over Chapman at W.O. Hart Park in Orange. They moved on to beat the No. 1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags in the second round Thursday at Azusa Pacific, 6-4.
Next up is Pomona-Pitzer at 3 p.m. Friday in Claremont. The game can be streamed at leopardathletics.com.
Lila Gongora can be reached at lila.gongora@laverne.edu.
Lila Gongora is a sophomore communications major with a concentration in public relations. She is the LV Life editor for the Campus Times and previously served as a staff writer.
Bajot Rathor is a senior organizational management major with a concentration in leadership and management, along with minors in photography and American law. She is a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
Aaliyah Alamillo is a junior photography major and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
