by Adrian Medrano
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne baseball team spent its spring break in Texas, earning a victory over nationally-ranked Trinity University and splitting a doubleheader against NAIA foe Texas Wesleyan but dropping their last game to the University of Dallas.
Freshman pitcher Mike Bockstahler pitched a strong five innings against Dallas, allowing only one run. His performance would not propel the Leopards to victory, however, as Dallas handed them a 6-5 defeat.
The Leopard’s offense failed to drive in enough runs against Dallas. Two of the Leopards’ innings ended with the bases loaded.
“We didn’t execute very well in our hitting,” said sophomore outfielder Lucas Berry.
The Leopards defeated Wesleyan, 6-3, in the first game of the doubleheader, but lost the second one in a tight 3-2 battle.
Despite the strong performance in game one of the double header, the Rams put a halt to the Leopards’ nine-game winning streak, prevailing 3-2 in game two. Junior Ryan Holmes sparked the Leopards, going 3 for 4 at the plate.
A three-run seventh inning strengthened the Leopards in their victory over the Rams. Holmes and senior outfielder Daniel Soriano each engineered two RBI performances. Junior James Ortega added a 3 for 4 performance with one of his hits being a double.
The Rams broke a six-game streak in which the Leopards had scored in double figures.
It was senior pitcher Alan Sarrail, however, who was the workhorse for the Leopards as he pitched a complete game, striking out eight Ram batters. Sarrail showed control of his pitches, giving up only two walks.
The Leopards’ offense was on fire in their first game of the trip against Trinity on Wednesday night.
Trinity was ranked No. 4 in the American Baseball Coaches Association Division III poll going into the game.
The Leopards scored four runs in the seventh inning and four runs in the eighth inning to key the 13-7 victory.
Junior catcher B.J. DuBarry, who was named Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Male Athlete of the Week for the week ending April 11, hit a three-run homerun in the eighth inning capping a three for four, five RBI performance.
“I just stuck with what I was taught,” DuBarry said, referring to the way he approached the plate. “I attacked the pitches that I liked.”
Freshman pitcher Mark Simmons earned the win pitching six and two-thirds innings.
Trinity did not help its cause as it committed five errors in the game.
The Leopards were ranked No. 6 in the West Region in the latest polls after their stint in Texas.
The Leopards remain in first place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They return to conference play today against Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks.
“We need to take our game to the teams we play and not change what we do,” DuBarry said.
