LA VERNE, CA — The reigning regular season SCIAC champion No. 23 Leopards thrashed the Pacific Lutheran University Lutes in a doubleheader on Saturday, averaging close to 13 runs per game in a three-game sweep to start the new campaign. The Leopards won game two of the series 13-5 and game three of the series 12-4, collecting 31 hits as a team to wrap up the series. La Verne looks to make it a 4-0 homestand when they host Whitman College on Sunday, February 25 at noon.
Game One
In his first start as a Leopard, junior Matthew DesMarets earned his first win in the green and orange as a transfer student (Concordia University of Irvine). The tall right-hander struck out four in four innings, allowing just one hit and inducing lots of weak contact.
At the plate, the Leopards scored early and gave DesMarets cushion to work with. Another Leopard making his debut, junior catcher Matt Rice (Pasadena City College) collected three hits including an RBI double to start the scoring in the second inning. Rice finished with a pair of doubles plus a single, leading all Leos with three RBIs.
Rice was one of three players with a multi-hit game, joining senior second baseman Anthony Salcedo and junior center fielder Matthew Diaz who each had two. Salcedo had a beautiful RBI push bunt and came around to score twice, while Diaz drove home a pair with a sacrifice fly and a little league home run courtesy of Lutes' miscues.
The Leopards used four pitchers en route to the win, with junior transfer Kyle Noell (Pasadena City College) shining in his La Verne debut with 2.2 innings and three strikeouts.
Game Two
Another transfer student given an opportunity to shine this weekend, junior utilityman Jason Givens became a walking hit. The sweet-swinging lefty connected for six hits in nine at-bats, including three hits in the final game of the series. With a double in game three, his three extra base hits lead the team into the weekend's final contest.
Diaz collected another two hits, tying him for the team lead with Givens and sophomore Nathan Perry at six. Perry, who mashed the team's first home run on Friday, tallied a three-hit game in the series finale while driving in one.
Sophomore Cole Monsen nearly delivered five crafty innings, dodging trouble while striking out three. First-year relievers Devin Avila and Justin Ries relieved him, combining for five more punchouts to keep the Lutes at bay.
