LA VERNE, CA — In a high-scoring SCIAC showdown, the University of La Verne baseball team came up short against Redlands, falling 15-7 on Friday afternoon at Ben Hines Field.

Redlands capitalized on early La Verne miscues to take a commanding lead in the first inning, scoring four runs on two hits and a pair of Leopard errors. Despite La Verne's efforts to battle back, the Bulldogs pulled away late with a pair of multi-run innings in the seventh and eighth.

The Leopards (30-7, 17-5 SCIAC) made a strong push in the fifth inning, plating four runs to cut the deficit to just one. Matt Rice sparked the rally with an RBI double, followed by a two-run single from Logan Corthell and an RBI double by Noah Garcia to make it 6-5.

Corthell finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Garcia also went 2-for-4 with an RBI, a run scored, a double and a walk. Jason Givens had a productive day at the plate, collecting three hits, one RBI, and scoring a run.

Redlands (25-13, 14-8 SCIAC) broke the game open in the late innings. A four-run seventh extended their lead to 10-5, and a five-run outburst in the eighth-highlighted by a grand slam from Ryan Morris-put the game out of reach. Morris led all players with six RBIs and three hits, including his eighth-inning homer.

La Verne used nine pitchers in the effort, with Tyler Lokar tossing a scoreless three innings in relief. The Leopards were unable to rally after scoring twice in the seventh, as Redlands' bullpen held them to just one hit over the final two frames.

La Verne returns to action Saturday as they wrap up the series with a doubleheader at Redlands. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m.