Photo Courtesy of La Verne Athletics
College Baseball:
La Verne followed up its 2025 regular season SCIAC title with a conference tournament championship.
However, Redlands, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona Pitzer made the Leopards earn it.
ULV defeated Redlands (4-3) and CMS (11-10 in 11 innings) before falling to Pomona-Pitzer, 13-12, in 10-innings on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, respectively.
That set up a winner-take-all scenario with the Sagehens on Sunday afternoon at Ben Hines Field.
And Pomona-Pitzer jumped on the Leopards early, as they pushed across five runs in the top of the first inning.
After scoring five runs and chasing Lucas Quintana, Garret Halbeisen, Corbin Duffield, Gabriel Lucero and Matt DesMarets would combine to go the next 8 2/3 innings and surrender just one earned run on six hits.
La Verne scored six times in the bottom of the third and they got three more in the eighth to secure a 9-7 victory.
ULV’s 34 wins is a program best since 1995, when the Leopards went 39-9.
Halbeisen went 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits.
He issued three walks and fanned five.
Duffield provided 1 1/3 and was charged with an unearned run on a hit batter and a wild pitch.
Lucero got the last two outs of the eighth inning.
And in his first appearance out of the bullpen, DesMarets earned the save after a scoreless ninth inning.
Tanner DeGrazia tripled and drove in a run on a sac fly.
Greg Pieranton had an RBI triple and scored.
Jimmy Legg walked and had an RBI triple.
Xavier Hattenburg walked, singled twice and scored a pair of runs.
JC Ng walked, doubled and scored.
Jack Gold walked and scored.
Cooper Berry went 2-for-5 with a run and one RBI.
William Kinney walked, singled, scored and had an RBI ground out.
Will Polishuk started and went 2 2/3 innings for the Sagehens, allowing five runs on one hit, seven walks and two hit batters.
Polishuk fanned a pair of Leopards.
Ben Cohen was pulled after allowing one run, walking three and hitting another without getting an out.
Lucas Dennis was charged with the loss after surrendering three runs on five hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Dennis didn’t issue a walk, hit three and struck out two ULV batters.
Former San Dimas and PCC catcher Matt Rice had a huge day.
Rice went 3-for-5 with a run and three RBIs.
His two-run double got the Leopards on the board in the six-run third inning.
And in the eighth, Rice singled in another to give ULV an 8-7 lead.
Nathan Perry scored twice, singled in a run and drew a pair of walks, including one with the bases loaded.
Ryan Vosika walked, singled and scored.
Jason Givens went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks, two runs and two RBIs.
Logan Reese, Nolan Anguiano and Matt Diaz drew a pair of walks and scored one run apiece.
Noah Garcia and Aidan Salcedo both had one RBI each on a sac fly.
Up next: ULV has earned a spot in next week’s NCAA regionals.
Quotable:
La Verne coach, Scott Winterburn: “It was very gratifying to see our whole team contribute to this tournament win. This tournament brings out your whole roster and you find out who you can be. We’re very excited to win this and we’re looking forward to the NCAA regionals next week!”
Box Score:
PP: 5-0-0-0-0-1-0-1-0-(7)
LV: 0-0-6-0-0-0-0-3-x-(9)
Win: Gabriel Lucero
Loss: Lucas Dennis
Save: Matt DesMarets
3B: Jimmy Legg (P), Greg Pierantoni (P), Tanner DeGrazia (P)
2B: JC Ng (P); Matt Rice (L)
Records: Pomona Pitzer (30-15); La Verne (34-9)
ULV’s SCIAC Tournament Title Run:
Thursday: ULV 4, Redlands 2
Friday: ULV 11, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps 10 (11 innings)
Saturday: Pomona-Pitzer 13, ULV 12 (10 innings)
Sunday: ULV 9, Pomona-Pitzer 7
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