LA VERNE, Calif. – After surrendering 18 hits in a 10-3 loss to the University of La Verne Leopards in the first game of a non-conference softball doubleheader Tuesday afternoon here at Wheeler Park, the George Fox University Bruins got a well-pitched second game from southpaw Rachel Fielder but fell again in a pitchers' duel 1-0.

Game 1 – La Verne 10, George Fox 3

George Fox took a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st when Kayla Anderson singled and came around on a passed ball and two ground outs, but the Leopards responded with two in the home half and four in the 2nd and never looked back.

RBI singles by Jackie Duran and Candice Nunez gave La Verne its first two runs, and they got a two-run double from Danielle Vela and a two-run home run from Raven Freret in the 2nd to build a 6-1 lead.  Rachel Hong singled in a run in the 3rd, and the Leopards iced it with a three-spot in the 5th, all coming on a three-run shot to left by Vela.

The Bruins got one run back in the 3rd on consecutive singles by Amanda Woods, Bethany Chriss, and Kat Hylton.  In the 5th, Chriss doubled to left-center, went to third on an error at second, and scored on Jenna Kirk's single to right.  The Bruins collected 10 hits in all, with Woods, Chriss, and Hylton getting two apiece, but left 10 runners stranded.

Vela led the Leopards' 18-hit outburst by going 4-for-4, falling a triple short of the cycle, with three runs scored and five RBIs.  Duran had three hits, and Freret, Nunez, Hong, Mackenzie Dutton and Amanda Copas had two each.

Allyssa DenDekker (5-3) went the distance for the Bruins, striking out two and walking one.  Katherine Kibbe went the first three innings for La Verne with three strikeouts and no walks, but surrendered six hits.  Ashley Moore (5-1) and Rebecca Ho pitched two two-hit innings apiece, Moore getting the win with two strikeouts and two walks, while Ho fanned three in her outing.

Game 2 – La Verne 1, George Fox 0

Fielder (3-3) gave the Bruins a chance to win with a complete-game six-hit effort in the second contest, with three strikeouts and one walk in six innings, but the George Fox offense could not solve the slants of La Verne hurlers Lindsay Godwin and Hong (2-3), who combined on a three-hitter.

The Leopards got the only run they would need in the 4th when Nunez walked with two away, went to second on a wild pitch, and scored on Dutton's double to center.  Dutton had two of the Leopards' six hits, while Chriss, Genetta Duncan, and Felicia Chavez had the Bruins' three hits, all doubles, but could never punch across the tying run.

Godwin went three innings, allowing two George Fox hits with three strikeouts and a walk.  Hong went the last four to pick up the win, giving up only one hit and fanning five with one free pass. 

George Fox fell to 13-13 overall with its fourth straight setback and seventh in the last eight games.  La Verne won its fourth in a row and improved to 17-9 on the season.

NEXT: George Fox concludes its California trip with a doubleheader Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at the University of Redlands before returning home for a four-game Northwest Conference series Friday-Saturday at Pacific University ... La Verne plays two Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games at the Pomona-Pitzer Colleges Friday at 2:00 p.m.