LA VERNE, Calif. - An unseasonably warm day at Wheeler Park belonged to the host La Verne Leopards as Cal Lutheran dropped a pair of shortened five inning games, 8-0 and 10-2, in Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) action.

Game one saw the Regals shutout in a three-hit, five inning affair. Blake Lewis reached base twice, with a single in the fourth after being hit by a pitch in the second. Brittany Labbe and Kayla Sakamoto were responsible for the other two base hits.

Lewis (0-3) was tagged with the loss after lasting 2.1 innings in the circle. Katelyn Downing came in to finish the final 1.2 innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out one.

The second game of the afternoon showed a promising start with Sakamotodrawing a leadoff walk and catcher Shannon Tinsley going with a pitch, lining a triple down the right field line to give CLU an early lead. Lewispromptly lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Tinsley and giving the Regals a 2-0 advantage.

CLU nearly escaped the first unscathed on a phenomenal diving stop by Ryanna Morua at second base for what would have been the third out, but the inning continued with the bases loaded as the ball trickled out of Lewis' glove at first base on a close play. A double just out of reach of a leaping Sakamoto extended the inning as the Leopards took a 4-2 lead.

La Verne forced starting pitcher Shonna Christianson (0-3) out of the circle after the first as she handed the ball to Downing in the second.

The Leopards would add a pair in the fourth before ending the game in the bottom of the fifth with four more, reaching the eight-run rule with one out.

Sakamoto reached on an error in the third and Christina Hunter followed by reaching on a fielder's choice as the final two base runners of the day for Cal Lutheran.

Tinsley and Kelly Lockwood connected for the third out of the fourth inning, catching an ULV base stealer. Lockwood finished with three putouts and a pair of assists, playing errorless softball.

Cal Lutheran (0-6, 0-4 SCIAC) will have a chance to avenge the losses on Monday, Feb. 18 when the Leopards travel to Thousand Oaks for a pair set to begin at 2:00 p.m. on Hutton Field.

Game 1: ULV 8, CLU (5)
Game 2: ULV 10, CLU 2 (5)
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