LA VERNE, Calif. - Whitworth came home from a challenging five-game trip to California with a respectable 2-3 record after splitting a non-conference softball doubleheader at La Verne on Monday afternoon. Whitworth (13-3) won the opener 6-4 in 9 innings, while La Verne (13-13) won the nightcap 4-1. All five games were road contests against NCAA West Region participants from last season.

LaPlante improved to 8-0 this season

Heather Case went 5 for 9 on the day and Jessie LaPlante remained undefeated this season in the circle.

Game 1: Whitworth 6, La Verne 4 (9 inn.) - Box score
Jessie LaPlante went all nine innings, giving up only two earned runs, the only earned runs she allowed in 19.1 innings of work on the trip. She scattered 10 hits, while striking out three and walking one.

Case scored on an error in the top of the first and Halley Cey drove home Lacey Parry for the Pirates' first two runs. The score remained 2-0 until the Leopards rallied for two in the bottom of the sixth. But the key play in that rally came when center fielder Cey threw out a La Verne runner at the plate to prevent the Leopards from taking the lead.

Both teams scored two runs in the seventh inning. Case singled home a run and Lacey Kerr scored on a wild pitch for the Pirates. The Panthers scored on three straight hits after the Bucs were only one out away from the win.

Heather Case was 5 of 9 at the plate

Whitworth finally won the game in the ninth with two more runs. Lindsay Davis scored the game-winning run on an error and Morgan Thomsen stole home on a double steal. After La Verne got the first runner on base in the bottom of the inning, LaPlante induced a fielder's choice, a fly out and a foul out to end the game.

Game 2: La Verne 2, Whitworth 1 - Box score
Heather Case went the distance, but took her second loss of the season. She allowed four runs (only two earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks.

It was a 2-1 pitchers' dual until the bottom of the sixth, when the Leopards scored two more insurance runs.Case scored the Pirates' only run in the third. She doubled then came home when Davis reached on an error at first base. Case finished with three hits in the game.

Up Next: The Pirates will return to Marks Field to host George Fox in a four-game Northwest Conference series this weekend. The Bruins are 5-13 overall this season and 3-7 in the NWC. Whitworth swept a four game series at GFU last season, scoring 11 runs three times and 10 runs once.