LA VERNE, CA — The University of La Verne baseball team scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning and walked off with a 5-4 win over Cal Lutheran in the opening round of the SCIAC Tournament.

Game Two Tickets (SCIAC students, faculty, and staff with institutional ID and children under 12 are free.)

The Leopards advance to the second round and will host No. 2 seed Pomona-Pitzer tomorrow at 3 p.m. The Sagehens defeated No. 3 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 13-10 in their opening game.

Tied 4-4 with the bases loaded and one out, Nathan Perry hit a fly ball to left field deep enough to bring home Jason Givens on a game-winning sacrifice fly.



La Verne entered the bottom of the inning down 4-2 when pinch hitter Benny Vogel came up clutch with a leadoff single through the right side. Ryan Vosika followed with a single to center field to put the tying run on base. 

After a fly out, Givens pinch hit and made some action happen. He put the ball into play and the Kingsmen first basemen misplayed it allowing Vogel to cross the plate and put Givens and Vosika in scoring position.

The Kingsmen intentionally walked Matthew Diaz to load the bases but hit the next batter Logan Reese to tie the game and set up Perry's heroics.

SCIAC Newcomer of the Year Niko Urquidi did everything he could to keep the Leopards in contention down the stretch. He struck out 11 batters, four looking, in seven and two-thirds innings. It's the third time this season Urquidi has notched double-digit strikeouts. Austin Klopfenstein pitched the final inning to pick up the win.

Cal Lutheran only managed to score in the fourth inning thanks to a pair of errors that plated two runs and a two-run home run. 

Reese finished with three hits and two RBIs. He brought in La Verne's first run of the game when he reached on an error that scored Anthony Salcedo. Nolan Anguiano cut the deficit to 4-2 when he scored Reese on a ground out to the pitcher.

La Verne improves to 27-11-1 overall.