By Beth Renkoski

3/05/09

Concordia Doubles Up Lions

Grajeda talks to Lion runners

Black scored 3 runs for VU

Irvine, Calif. - The Vanguard Lions tallied 11 hits but hit into three double plays today, helping the Concordia Eagles notch a 10-5 victory in Golden State Athletic Conference baseball action at CUI in Irvine.

Senior Chris Carls (0-3) had an unusually rocky start on the hill for the Lions. Carls was charged with six runs on five hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning, his shortest start of the season. Sophomore Jordan Wishmyer relieved Carls and pitched for 3.1 innings in relief, giving up two earned runs on four hits with three strikeouts against the Eagles. Brandon Godfrey and Ryan Vollkemmer split the final four innings of work for the Lions with Godfrey allowing CUI's last two runs and Vollkemmer posting two frames of shutout ball.

Josh Manzano had four of VU's 11 hits, including an RBI double to score pinch-runner Dan Black with VU's first run of the game in the second inning. The Lions scored two runs in the top of the fourth inning as Brett Siegmund hit a sacrifice fly to score Jason Schaniel and Manzano singled home Black again, cutting CUI's lead to 6-3.

However, three runs would be as close as the Lions would get. Trailing 7-3, the Lions added a run in the fifth when Derek Craddock singled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch. VU's final run came in the top of the ninth, when trailing 10-4 at the time, it was too little and too late. Collecting four hits in the inning, including Manzano's single to drive home Black for the third time, the Lions rally was cut short with two runners picked off and two left on base.

CUI connected for 15 hits and used three pitchers to complete the victory, including reliever Serrin Jarvi who recorded the win. The Eagles improve to 9-6 overall and 6-5 in GSAC, beating the Lions for the second time this season.

Vanguard slips to 3-10 overall and 1-8 in GSAC. The Lions are back on the diamond on Saturday when they host San Diego Christian for a GSAC double header beginning at 11:00 a.m.

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