MARSHALL, TX — In a rematch of last year's super regionals, the No. 14 University of La Verne baseball team traveled for a three-game series against No. 6 East Texas Baptist. The Leopards ended the weekend with an impressive 10-5 win over the Tigers.
Jason Givens led the Leopards with a 3-5 game at the plate, two runs, and drove in two runs with a triple in the sixth.
Nathan Perry highlighted the game when he hit a three-run home run to put the Leopards up 10-1 in the seventh. Perry finished the game 2-3 with two walks.
With the game scoreless heading into the third, the Leopards took control and scored in the next five innings. La Verne generated some runs in the third after Ryan Vosika led off with a triple and Logan Corthell brought him in with a sacrifice fly to left. Malachi Francois stepped up next doubled to right center, stole third, and scored on an East Texas Baptist error.
The Leopards added runs in the fourth and fifth off RBI singles by Francois and Matthew Diaz. Nolan Anguiano added an RBI single in the sixth.
Matthew DesMarets improved to 2-0 after pitching six and a third innings with six strikeouts. DesMartes gave up just five hits in the win.
Hot Offense
The Leopards ended the game with 14 hits and have finished with double-digit hits in seven games this season. The Leopards have scored 10 runs or more in six games.
Game Two: No. 6 East Texas Baptist 3, No. 14 La Verne 1
Gerald Terry did what he could in a pitching duel, but the Tigers edged La Verne in a defensive battle in Saturday's opener.
Terry struck out nine and took the Leopards into the eighth trailing by just one run.
The Tigers hit a two-run, infield single in the eighth to take a comfortable 3-0 lead.
The Leopards got two runners on base in the ninth and plated a run after a Logan Reese RBI scored Francois but couldn't get closer.
Game One: No. 6 East Texas Baptist 12, No. 14 La Verne 6
The Leopards' late-game rally came up short, falling in the first of a three-game series, 12-6.
Jason Givens went 3-4 on the plate with one RBI. Malachi Francois hit a solo home run in his only at-bat, drew a walk, and stole a base. Reese added two hits and an RBI.
La Verne took the early 1-0 lead in the top of the first but fell behind after the Tigers scored twice in the bottom half of the inning.
Niko Urquidi struck out eight batters in his start.
Season Impact
The Leopards move to 7-3 overall.
Next Game
The Leopards return home on Tuesday, March 12 against No. 20 SUNY Cortland at 3 p.m.