CLAREMONT, CA — Despite a five-run first inning, The #5 seed University of La Verne baseball team could not overcome a powerful Pomona-Pitzer comeback, falling to the #2 Sagehens 6-5 in the SCIAC Tournament semifinals.
Season Impact: The Leopards will face the #1 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Stags in an elimination game tomorrow at 11 a.m at APU. La Verne beat CMS yesterday, 6-4, in round two of the tournament. CMS bested and eliminated #3 Redlands today, overcoming the Bulldogs 12-1.
The winner will advance to the SCIAC Championship game against the Sagehens at 2 p.m. To claim the conference title, the Leopards would need to beat CMS, then defeat Pomona-Pitzer later that afternoon, forcing the Sunday if-necessary game and win that game as well.
Saturday, May 9 - Game 6: Winner of Game 4 v Non-winner of Game 5 (11:00 a.m.)
Saturday, May 9 - Championship game winner Game 5 v. Winner Game 6 (2:00 p.m.)
Sunday, May 10 - If necessary game (11:00 a.m.)
Justin Ries started for La Verne, throwing 3.2 innings and surrendering four runs off four hits. Zenan Pena tossed 3.2 innings, also striking out four and allowing two earned runs off one home run. He took the loss despite a solid appearance. Alek Bautista led ULV at the plate with a hit and two RBI's
The Leopards came out clawing, scoring five runs off two hits and three walks in the first inning. Sagehens starter Will Polishuk gave up back-to-back walks to Ryan Vosika and RJ Libby, then hit Aidan Salcedo with a pitch to load the bases. Nathan Perry followed with an infield dribbler to bring in La Verne's first run of the game, and Isaiah Figueroa walked with the bases loaded, scoring Libby and making it 2-0. Wade Lawson relieved Polishuk on the mound, and Aaron Whobrey reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Salcedo to score and plate the Leopards' third run of the game. Bautista then connected for his bases-clearing single to extend ULV's lead to 5-0.
The Sagehens narrowed the Leopards' lead to one when Landon Hu and Kai Gonzaga hit a pair of two-run home runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Pena relieved Ries on the mound, pitching lights out ball until Gonzaga hit his second home run of the day, a two-run go-ahead shot that gave the Sagehens the lead by one run and secured their 6-5 victory.
