Leopards look to hit Cal Lutheran
Campus Times
March 26, 1999
Freshman pitcher Richard Searing throws toward the plate in his winning
effort against Linfield on Tuesday. Searing pitched seven innings, allowed
four runs on 10 hits, while striking out two. The win brought La Verne's
record to 19-6.
It has been said that the key to a good offense is a good defense.
But for the University of La Verne baseball team, the success it has
come by is due to its offensive force.
After dropping two games as the host school in the California Invitational
on Saturday and Sunday (one to George Fox University, 9-8, and the other
to Cal State University Hayward, 12-8), the Leopards got back on track with
a 19-5 beating of the University of Redlands in the seventh place game.
"We had a really good ball game with George Fox, which ended up
winning the whole thing," head coach Robert Lee said. "It was
a little bit disappointing, but it was a constructive loss."
ULV continued its winning ways Tuesday, as the Leopards disposed of
Linfield College, 16-5.
Using a 20-hit attack, the Leopards improved to 19-6 overall. In 15
of those games, ULV has scored in double digits.
Six Leopards had two or more hits against Linfield. They included junior
center fielder Masomi Ueda, who went 4-for-6 with four RBI and a home run;
senior first baseman Russell Riehl, who was 3-for-5 with three RBI and a
home run; junior shortstop Corey Rooper, who went 2-for-4 with three runs
scored; junior third baseman Mike Guzman, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI;
junior catcher Jay Nirenberg, who had three hits in four attempts; and junior
leftfielder Brett Kalcevich was 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Individual statistics and performances aside, the Leopards are a hitting
machine as a whole. In its 25 games this season, ULV is batting .367 overall
with 28 home runs and 277 runs scored.
"The group we have assembled is a pretty good group of hitters,"
Lee said. "We put together a plan and have steered them in the right
direction."
The ULV hit parade continues its tour today at 2:30 p.m. at home against
Cal Lutheran University. Cal Lu is in first place in the Southern California
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 10-2, one game ahead
of ULV.
"These games are not any more important than the one we just played,"
Lee said. "It is more about playing the game as opposed to the opponent."
