Entering the game at the top of the sixth inning at first base, freshman Ben McDonough fields the first hit of the inning. McDonough threw the ball to the pitcher covering first, but the pitcher dropped the ball, earning an error. The Leopards mauled the Beavers, putting the mercy rule into effect at the bottom of the seventh inning. The Leopards won 18-0 April 13 at Ben Hines field. / photo by Kelly Rivas
The baseball team showed no mercy on April 13-14 in its three games against Caltech, with three shutout wins.
All three games ended in the seventh inning due to the mercy rule.
To open the three-game series, the Leopards defeated the Beavers, 18-0, on Ben Hines Field.
Starting pitcher Mark Simmons threw five hitless innings and racked up eight strikeouts, while also picking up his seventh win this season.
“We’re doing really well,” Simmons said. “We’re on a roll and ready to roll into Cal Lu next week and into the playoffs.”
Senior reliever Anthony Ornelas added one more strikeout and continued the shutout against Caltech in the sixth and seventh innings, giving up just one hit to Kevin Noertker of Caltech.
The Leopards displayed their hitting skill and near-perfect execution in the third inning as they stretched their lead to 14-0.
Eleven different players from ULV connected for at least one hit and no Leopard batter struck out.
The lone home run of the game was hit by Leopard first baseman Javier Landeros.
“We’re starting to do things for the team and not ourselves,” senior outfielder Daniel Talbot said. “We’re really starting to play some unselfish ball.”
The next day in Pasadena, the afternoon doubleheader did not faze the Leopards.
At home the Beavers still did not capitalize as they lost the first game, 18-0.
The second game also played out much the same. ULV won again, 17-0.
ULV is in first place in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference with a record of 12-3, ahead of Pomona-Pitzer and Cal Lutheran.
The Leopards will play the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen today at 3 p.m. in their second to last home game of the season.
The two teams will then travel to Thousand Oaks tomorrow for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.
“We’re very confident at this point in time,” said senior outfielder Kyle Johnson.
“The point is to beat Cal Lu, our biggest opponent, coming up and make it to the playoffs,” Johnson said.
Taryn Aguilar can be reached at taguilar@ulv.edu.