La Verne, CA—The McMurry War Hawks defeated host school La Verne Saturday afternoon at Ben Hines Field 5-4.

La Verne scored first in the bottom of the 1st inning, taking a 2-0 lead. McMurry got on the board in the top of the 2nd inning when Beckham Paul singled to score Collin Bruning, who had started the inning by reaching on an error, making the score 2-1.

La Verne's pitcher ended the day with a season-high 11 strikeouts, and McMurry's Ethan Wendel traded scoreless innings until the top of the 7th inning.

McMurry scored two runs to take the lead. For the second game in a row, Michael Smosna led off the inning with a triple. Beckham Paul laid down a well-placed bunt to bring Smosna home and reach on a single. The inning's second run came when Xavier Escobar reached on a throwing error, allowing Paul to score, making it 3-2.

McMurry added an insurance run in the top of the 8th when Casey Turner came through with a pinch-hit single to score Collin Bruning, who had reached on a single earlier in the inning, increasing their lead to 4-2.

La Verne tied the game in the bottom of the 8th inning, scoring two runs on a triple to make it 4-4.

In the top of the ninth, Blake Beach, who played stellar defense all game, came through with a leadoff triple. Xavier Escobar brought Beach home on a sacrifice fly to center field.

Jonathan Enriquez earned the win for McMurry for the second straight day in relief, pitching 1.1 innings and allowing only one hit to the Leopards.

This win moves McMurry to 2-0 in the regional and into the championship game tomorrow at 1 pm against the winner of the Pomona-Pitzer / La Verne game playing later this evening.