Lila Gongora
Staff Writer
The Leopards’ softball team defeated a team of alumni, 2-0, Saturday at Campus West. They celebrated 60 years of softball at La Verne with a four-inning scrimmage, home run derby and hit-a-thon event.
The players saw it as an opportunity for them to reconnect with one another, and the current Leopards were able to prove themselves to prior generations and former teammates.
“It’s always fun to see everyone,” senior Annica Luna said. “As if we were all still on the same team because after all, we’re family.”
The women may feel like they are on the same team off the field, but the way they play on the field tells a different story. Freshman Alyssa Tafolla pitched the first two innings of the game, not allowing any runs.
In the bottom of the first inning, however, with Luna on third base and sophomore Janelle Vega on second, junior Kileah Lologo drove her teammates home with a two-run double for the only scoring of the game.
Though the alumni failed to score a run, they were able to prove to themselves that a player never forgets their training. With Tafolla back on the mound, 2025 graduate Sydney Diaz hit a ground ball single.
“I still got it,” Diaz said. “I got to come out and play with my teammates and it reminds me of how much I liked playing. It means a lot because I haven’t picked up a bat since Senior Day, and I actually still got it.”
The returners and incoming players alike said they felt a sense of connection as they competed against alumni. With over 10 new players on the team, they were able to get a taste of what it means to be part of the team.
“I don’t really know most of the alumni,” freshman pitcher Angelina Garcia said. “But it was honestly fun seeing everyone and connecting with people they know and that they’ve played with.”
Garcia closed out the game, pitching the last two innings and keeping the score unchanged.
Head coach Danielle Kaminaka explained that it is important for current players to get to know different generations of La Verne softball. It offers them a chance to see what opportunities await them after a collegiate athletic career.
A desire to listen to and communicate with others is something Kaminaka hopes to see more of in the upcoming season from the team.
“I saw them all communicating, talking – we’ve been working on that – and making adjustments from at bat to at bat and our pitchers trying to dial in their locations,” Kaminaka said. “I saw all good stuff today and we’re constantly growing.”
She went on to say that a big goal of the team’s this year is to learn about each other off the field and use their differences to their advantage on the field. As they learn how they mesh together they are able to find a middle ground in which they can function harmoniously.
After the four-inning game an alumni home run derby took place as well as a community hit-a-thon to raise money for La Verne softball.
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.
Aaliyah Alamillo is a junior photography major and a staff photographer for the Campus Times and La Verne Magazine.
