Jonas Holt
Staff Writer
The Leopards lost the second game of a doubleheader, 11-7, against the John Carroll Blue Streaks on Tuesday at Campus West.
The Leopards claimed victory in the first game with a dominating 9-1 win, showcasing their offensive prowess. They were led by junior infielder Erika Garcia, who delivered two hits and three RBI, maintaining a .324 batting average on the season.
“I just try to envision myself getting a hit and putting a good swing on the ball, and just to go up there knowing how good of a hitter I am,” Garcia said on her approach at the plate.
Junior pitcher Alayna Munoz got the start for the Leopards in game two and went four innings, giving up six hits and five runs with four strikeouts. The Blue Streaks wasted no time making their presence felt in game two, opening the game with back-to-back hits.
Despite Munoz getting the next two batters out, Blue Streaks infielder Gabby Hougan hit a deep fly ball to center field that would go in and out of junior center fielder Ashley Rodriguez’s glove, allowing two runs to score and giving the Blue Streaks an early 2-0 lead.
“We can have a great game one but we’ve got to come out and have a great game two,” head coach Tara Anaya said. “I just feel like right off the bat we weren’t there, and it starts with the mound.”
The Blue Streaks extended their lead to 3-0 in the first inning after a line drive into left center field. Rodriguez then redeemed herself making a spectacular diving catch on the next play.
The Leopards responded swiftly as junior outfielder Angelina Alderete led off with an infield single and stole second on the next pitch thrown, which set the stage for Garcia’s RBI ground ball, narrowing the gap to 3-1. A sacrifice fly by Rodriguez scored another run, further closing the deficit to 3-2 at the end of the first inning.
The Leopards continued to rally in the third inning as sophomore infielder Cassandra Zapata’s single ignited the offense. A single by graduate student first baseman Marissa Acosta ended up loading the bases, setting the stage for an Alderete walk, which tied the game 3-3. Freshman outfielder Julia Miramontes smoked the ball to the right field fence, clearing the bases to give the Leopards a 6-3 lead.
“One of the main things is just exerting confidence when we’re up there, and being who we are,” Alderete said. “When we score multiple runs like that in those tough innings, that is who we truly are.”
Freshman pitcher Jada Coria took the mound in the third inning and surrendered a home run to the first batter she faced, bringing the score to 6-4. However, Coria minimized the damage by retiring the next three batters.
The Leopards would extend their lead in the fourth inning after an Alderete triple set up Miramontes for an RBI single, bringing the score to 7-4.
The comeback was on for the Blue Streaks in the fifth inning as Gabby Hougan hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to tie the game, 7-7. The homer gave the Blue Streaks all the momentum they needed heading into the sixth inning.
The Blue Streaks took an 8-7 lead after an RBI double by junior outfielder Kendall Trunzo. Coria left the game for the Leopards and Munoz came back to the mound with runners in scoring position and gave up another run to make it 9-7.
“I think we press too hard sometimes and put too much pressure on ourselves at times,” sophomore designated player Isabella Garcia said. “When we play free that’s when we’re at our best.”
The Leopards’ offense went cold as the Blue Streaks stayed hot and took advantage of La Verne errors to go up 11-7 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning.
The game ended on a Zapata line out to Blue Streaks junior second baseman Kaylyn Odelli, giving John Carroll their first win of the season and the Leopards their seventh loss.
“I think we’re just trying to get our confidence back and we need to stay positive and upbeat through these tough losses that we’ve dealt with so far,” Garcia said.
With the doubleheader split, the Leopards now stand at 3-7 on the season and will look ahead to a one-off game against Chapman at 3 p.m. Saturday at Campus West.
“We’ve just got to be able to stay focused and dialed in during these games,” Anaya said.
Jonas Holt can be reached at jonas.holt@laverne.edu.
Jonas Holt is a senior journalism major with a concentration in print and online journalism. He is sports editor of the Campus Times, a staff writer for La Verne Magazine and staff photographer for both publications. He has previously been a staff writer for the Campus Times.
Lindsey Pacela, a senior journalism and psychology major, has worked as the editor-in-chief of La Verne Magazine and news editor for the Campus Times. She is currently a staff photographer for both publications.
