LA VERNE, Calif. – Whitworth earned a five-inning 8-0 win over host La Verne in the opening game of a non-conference softball doubleheader on Saturday, but the Leopards came back to win the nightcap 5-2.

Whitworth is now 4-2 this season while the Leopards are 2-2.  The Pirates will play a doubleheader at Whittier College on Sunday, beginning at 10:00 am.

Game 1 – Whitworth 8, La Verne 0
The Pirates jumped on All-SCIAC pitcher Hayley Jaquess early, scoring eight runs on eight hits in the first inning.  That was far more than Madi Perez needed to pick up her third victory of the season in the circle.

The Pirates got great situational hitting in that opening inning, scoring their runs on six RBI base hits and a passed ball.  Shannon Wessel drove in the first run with a double to left center, followed by Peyton McMahon's RBI single up the middle.  Wessel then scored on a passed ball to make the score 3-0.  Sacha Clow then doubled to score McMahon.  Tessa Matthews had the only multiple RBI hit of the inning and her single up the middle drove in two.  Chelsey Hayes, who opened the inning with a single and scored the Pirates' first run, then followed with an RBI double to left.  Alyssa Hall's bunt single scored Hayes for the final run of the inning.

Perez allowed five hits in the five-inning complete game shutout.  She struck out five batters without a walk and lowered her ERA to 0.37 this season.

To her credit Jaquess (1-1) settled down and allowed only one more Pirate hit over the final four innings.

Game 2 – La Verne 5, Whitworth 2
The Pirates scored two runs in the opening frame, but could not score again and the Leopards came back to take the second game of the doubleheader.

Whitworth loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first off of Rachel Hong and Clow was able to draw a bases-loaded walk to drive in the first Pirate run.  Megan John followed with an RBI single, but Hong was able to work out of the inning without giving up any more runs.

La Verne got on the board in the second on Rebecca Ireland's RBI single off of Makayla Lefever.  They went ahead in the fifth, scoring three runs.  A throwing error led to the game-tying run.  Amanda Chavez had an RBI double later in the inning to make it 4-2.

Danielle Vela drove in her second run of the game with a double in the sixth.

Lefever went 4.1 innings and allowed four runs, falling to 1-1 this season.  Megan Fisher threw the final 1.2 innings and allowed the final run.

Hong went the distance in the circle for La Verne and picked up the win.

Chelsey Hayes went 4-4 for Whitworth while batting leadoff, accounting for half of the Pirates' eight hits.