LA VERNE, CA -The University of La Verne baseball team opened its crucial three-game series against Chapman University with a dramatic 8-7 walk-off victory over the Panthers on Friday afternoon at Campus West.
 
Christian Takahashi scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning after Lucas Zayac put the ball in play and Chapman third baseman Blake Jacobs committed a fielding error, allowing Takahashi to cross home plate and secure the walk-off victory. Zayac finished his day going 3-5 with the RBI and run scored, while Nathan Perry collected three RBI's and one hit. Zenen Pena pitched a clean 1.2 innings while Lucas Quintana got the win, dealing two innings of perfect baseball.

Justin Ries began the game on the mound for the Leopards, tossing 4.1 innings, allowing five runs off six hits, while Chapman starter and designated hitter Nick Molina threw five innings, only surrendering one earned run. 

The Panthers struck first in the top of the first inning when third baseman Blake Jacobs tripled to right center, bringing in the first two runs of the game. 

After two quick groundouts in the bottom of the third inning, Ryan Vosika walked, and RJ Libby reached on an error. Aidan Salcedo singled up the middle, bringing in the Leopards first run of the game. With two runners on, Nathan Perry continued the two-out rally for La Verne, hitting a go-ahead triple to right center and making the score 3-2.

The Leopards added an insurance run when Zayac singled to right field to bring in Perry and put La Verne up by two heading into the fourth inning. 

After back-to-back hits that put Chapman runners on the corners to lead off the top of the fifth inning, Keegan Goddard singled and put the Panthers within one. They tied things back up at four runs apiece when Tate Zimmerman walked with the bases loaded. The Panthers pushed three more runs across the board to take a 7-4 lead.

RJ Libby was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the fifth. He advanced two bases on a groundout and a balk and came around to score when Perry hit a productive groundout, collecting his third RBI of the day.

The Panthers' lead held until the bottom of the eighth. Salcedo began the inning with a walk, and with one out, Zayac singled to Chapman's reliever Matthew Kuromoto, knocking his glove off his hand. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Salcedo crossed the plate when Alek Bautista grounded out to shortstop to make it a one-run game. The tying run in Zayac scored when Isaiah Figueroa reached on an error by Panthers' first baseman Andrew Powers.

Takahashi put the go-ahead run on first base in the bottom of the ninth when he was hit by a pitch by Chapman's second reliever of the game, Graham Stogner. He advanced to third when Vosika followed with a walk, and Roman Miranda hit a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Zayac had to put the ball into play to get the winning run across the plate. The freshman hit a hot shot at Jacobs, who could not handle it and opened the door for Takahashi to score the game-winner. 

The loss went to Stogner, while Quintana picked up his second win of the season.

Words from Zayac:

"I'm feeling good about this win," said Zayac. "Our team battled to come back into this one, and we're hoping this momentum carries into tomorrow and our next series."

Season impact and Next Up:

With the win, the Leopards improve to 20-13-1 overall and 12-7 in SCIAC play, still in fourth place in the conference standings. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer are currently tied for first place at 13-6 in conference play with matching .684 winning percentages, while Redlands sits just behind at 14-7. Cal Lutheran rounds out the top five with a 10-9 conference record.

The Leopards will wrap up their three-game series against the Panthers on Saturday with a doubleheader at W.O. Hart Park in Orange, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. and game two set for 2 p.m.