CLAREMONT, Calif. – The Whitworth University softball team turned up the heat in the batter's box in a two game sweep of La Verne on Friday. The Pirates scored 20 runs in their 9-1 and 11-1 non-conference sweep of the Leopards.

Junior Peyton McMahon drilled the first home run of the year for the Pirates and junior Taylor Gilbert went 3-3 on the day with three RRI to help Whitworth improve to 3-1 on the season. La Verne drops to 0-2 overall.

Game 1 – Whitworth 9, La Verne 1
La Verne scored its lone run of the game in the second inning on a homerun from Katherine Kibbe, putting the Leopards in front 1-0 early. Whitworth turned up its offensive intensity in the fourth inning as Taylor Gilbert's double to right field scored freshman Tessa Matthews and sophomore Brittany Connor. Senior Julia Johnson's single to center scored Gilbert in the next at-bat.

The Pirates pushed three more runs across in the top of the fifth inning. After a Leopard error put runners on second and third, sophomore Bailey Kasler grounded out to third, but allowed senior Caylan Haehl to score on the play. Two batters later, freshman Shannon Wessel stole home. Gilbert's single down the right field line scored junior Sacha Clow. Whitworth added a run in the sixth and two in the seventh without allowing La Verne a hit in the final three innings.

Both Gilbert and Johnson finished the game with three RBI. Johnson finished the game 2-3 with a run scored.

Gilbert picked up the win in the circle, pitching 4.2 innings with three hits, one run, two walks and a strikeout. Freshman Makayla Lefever earned her first collegiate save, pitching 2.1 innings without allowing a hit.

Katherine Kibbe took the loss, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out four in 3.1 innings.

Game 2 – Whitworth 11, La Verne 1 (5 innings)
The Pirates went to work early in the second game of the day. After Brittany Connor scored on a single from Shannon Wessel, the Pirates loaded the bases for Peyton McMahon. McMahon connected on her first home run of the season for the grand slam and Whitworth lead 5-0 after the first half inning.

La Verne got a run back at the bottom of the first, but Whitworth pushed a run across on an error in the second to extend to a 6-1 lead. Freshman Kayla Batastini and McMahon each scored unearned runs in the top of the third to make it an 8-1 game. Whitworth put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth with three runs to make it 11-1. La Verne was held to just one hit in the last inning.

McMahon went 2-3 in the game with four runs batted in. Kayla Batastini also went 2-3 with an RBI in the game.

Freshman Madi Perez earned the win in the circle, allowing one run on two hits with three strikeouts in four innings. Hayley Jaquess took the loss for La Verne, with five walks, three strikeouts and six hits.

Whitworth continue the California trip with a doubleheader at Redlands on Saturday.