LA VERNE, Calif. --- The Pacific Lutheran Baseball team could not overcome two early deficits against the La Verne on Saturday as they drop both games to the Leopards; 13-5 and 12-4.
 
Game One
 
Chris Moreno got the start on the bump for the Lutes in the first game of the doubleheader, going five innings, earning six runs on ten hits, and striking out four.
 
With runners on second and third in the top of the second, thanks to a fielding error, walk, and wild pitch, the Lutes were unable to get on the board first as Brody Phinney grounded out to first base. But the Leopards took advantage in the home half of the inning, earning a walk that would later score on a double to give La Verne a 1-0 lead.
 
Aaron Barber got the first hit for the Lutes in the top of the third with a single to left field, but this hit would fail to result in a run for the Lutes. In the bottom of the fourth, the Leopards woke once again and executed on a two-run single with no outs and the bases loaded. Following a strikeout, La Verne would add three more on a single that cleared the bases due to a throwing error at first base.
 
PLU got on the board in the fifth as Brayden Adcox reached on a hit-by-pitch that would be followed by a double to center field by Peter King, cutting the deficit to 7-1. More runs would come for the Lutes in the top of the sixth, with an Ashton Barton triple deep down the right field line. Barton would score on a Rutger Youch double to left. Youch stole third just before Carson Burke doubled to left which would knock the Leopards pitcher out of the game.
 
With a 7-3 lead, La Verne kept the hits coming, knocking Moreno out of the game after a leadoff double followed by a bunt for a hit. A pair of left-side singles and a bases-loaded double extended the lead to 12-3. The sixth and final run of the inning for La Verne came on a sacrifice fly to right; 13-3 Leopards through six.
 
Sophomore Hayden Kaiser, who entered into the game for Asa Reece, doubled with two-outs to score Youch and make it a 13-4 deficit. The final frame King reached on a fielding error to the shortstop to which Christian Cambridge would pinch-run for the outfielder. After advancing to third on a failed pickoff attempt, Barber would bring the runner in on a groundout to second. The Leopards would go on to win the game 13-5.
 
The Lutes scored five runs on six hits, all coming from different batters. The 13 runs for the Leopards came on 13 hits. Moreno (5 IP) was credited with his second loss of the season.
 
Game Two
 
Jonathan Cohen earned his second start of the season in the early afternoon game for the Lutes, going four innings on the mound, earning three runs on eight hits and allowing just one walk.
 
La Verne took the first lead of the game once again, with a sacrifice fly to left field, the Leopards held a 1-0 lead after one. The Lutes would answer back as Youch opened the second with a single to which he would advance to third following a failed pickoff attempt and a Phinney groundout. Senior Lukas Delisle's infield single would score Youch and tie the game up at 1-1.
 
The tie ballgame wouldn't last long though, as the Leopards executed a second sacrifice fly in as many innings to take a 2-1 lead. The bottom of the third resulted in much of the same for the home squad, back-to-back singles and a throwing error at third base would load the bases with no outs. A sacrifice fly, groundout, and a single would score all three runners and give La Verne a 5-1 lead through three innings. The Leopards added one more in the fourth with a two-out single up the middle.
 
Cohen opened up the fifth with allowing a leadoff single that knocked him out of the game as Jake Prewett came in relief on the mound. The leadoff runner went on to score on a two-out, two-run, single to left; extending the La Verne lead to 8-1. The home team tacked on one more in the sixth with a pair of singles and a stolen base.
 
PLU scored their second run of the game in the seventh inning, as Youch wore a bases-loaded hit by pitch that would score Delisle. Senior Trevor Mason came in to relieve Prewett in the seventh after the Leopards opened the inning with a leadoff double to left-center. A single followed by consecutive singles to the outfield grass, the Leopards earned their 11^th run on a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
Opening the top of the eighth with a walk and a throwing error by third base, Peter King scored Burke and Reese on a single to left-center field; making the score 11-4 in favor of the Leopards. Adcox came in to pitch the home half of the eighth for the Lutes, allowing one run after walking two batters and giving up a single through the left side of the infield.
 
The Lutes would go on to drop game two by a score of 12-4. With four runs on five hits, the Leopards won the battle at the plate with 12 runs on 17 hits. King lead the Lutes with two runs batted in on one hit. Cohen is credited with his second loss of the season.
 
The Lutes will wrap up their California road trip tomorrow in a single-game matchup against the Pomona Pitzer Sagehens at 2 p.m. in Claremont, California.
 
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