WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The University of La Verne jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 12-2 victory over Whitworth University during Saturday's first game of the Bud Knight Memorial Tournament at Whitman College.
The 19th-ranked Leopards improved to 27-7-1 while the Pirates fell to 9-27. The teams will play again on Sunday morning before Whitworth concludes the weekend with a game against the host Blues.
La Verne scored four in the first and three in the second to jump out to an early 7-1 lead. Manuel Munoz had a two-run single in the first inning while Brandon Shiota had an RBI double in the second inning.
Jaxsen Sweum hit his 12th home run of the season for Whitworth in the bottom of the first. JJ Fahnlander hit his second of the season in the seventh inning to pull the Pirates within 7-2.
The Leopards put the game away with three more runs in the top of the eighth as Cameron Slesser and Malachi Fancios had back-to-back RBI doubles. They added two more for good measure in the top of the ninth.
