LA VERNE, CA — The University of La Verne baseball team was blanked at home on Wednesday afternoon, falling 3-0 to The Master's University in a non-conference matchup at Ben Hines Field.

The Leopards (23-6) were held to just two hits across nine innings by a strong pitching performance from Mustangs starter Carson Ohl, who improved to 4-1 on the season. Ohl worked eight scoreless innings, striking out five and walking just one on 90 pitches before handing things over to Gage Webster, who closed the door in the ninth with two strikeouts.

Despite the loss, La Verne saw solid outings from a deep bullpen. Five Leopard pitchers combined to strike out 11 and allow just three earned runs. Lucas Quintana took the loss after giving up one run in two innings, while Austin Klopfenstein and Justin Ries each tossed scoreless frames in relief. Caughlin Shults, Andrew Wente, and Garrett Halbeisen also contributed out of the pen.

The Master's (27-15) opened the scoring in the second with an RBI ground-rule double from Owen Payn, then tacked on runs in the fifth and ninth innings. The final blow came off the bat of Jacob Kowes, who capped a 4-for-5 day with a solo home run to right center in the ninth. Kowes led all hitters with four knocks and added a double and an RBI.

La Verne's best chance to score came in the second inning when Malachi Francois singled and advanced to third on a pair of passed balls. However, the Leopards couldn't capitalize, leaving him stranded. Francois and Ryan Vosika recorded the only two hits for La Verne, both singles.

Up Next:

La Verne returns to SCIAC action this weekend with a three-game series against Occidental College. The Leopards will open the series at home on Friday, April 18, at 3 p.m. before traveling to Los Angeles for a doubleheader on Saturday.