LA VERNE, Calif. – Whitworth University lost its first game of the NCAA Division III baseball tournament by a score of 5-1 to host University of La Verne on Friday afternoon at Ben Hines Field.
The Pirates (29-17) drop into Saturday's elimination game against Pomona-Pitzer (30-16) at 8:30 am. The 9th-ranked Leopards (35-9) move into a winners' bracket contest against McMurry University (33-11) at noon. The winner of Saturday morning's game play's the loser of the noon contest at 3:30 pm.
La Verne took the offensive initiative from the opening inning. The Leopards led 1-0 on Nathan Perry's RBI single in the first. ULV loaded the bases in the second and Jason Givens drew a bases on balls for the second run before Perry was hit by a pitch to net a 3-0 lead.
The Leopards added two more in the fourth inning as Perry drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly before Matt Rice added an RBI single.
Whitworth scored its lone run in the sixth after Dominic Giusti walked and Kyle Memarian added a single. A double play left Giusti on third and he was able to scamper home on a wild pitch.
The Pirates were unable to move another runner into scoring position against a ULV pitching staff that came into the game with a 3.90 team ERA. Ethan Galindo started on the mound for the Leopards and improved to 9-1 after throwing five-plus innings and allowing one run on five hits. Three relievers followed Galindo to the mound, combining to hold the Pirates to a single hit over the final four frames.
AJ Woodward (5-4) started for Whitworth and allowed five runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings of work. Nathaniel Kurano threw the final 3.1 scoreless innings, giving up three hits.
Brock Molenda and Kevin Corder had two hits apiece for the Pirates.
