By Beth Renkoski
04/04/09
Lancers Cage Lions in Riverside
Riverside, Calif. - The Vanguard Lions traveled to Riverside today to take on the California Baptist Lancers in a GSAC baseball double header. Outhit 31-18 on the day, the Lions were swept 6-2 and 18-8 by the Lancers, who also won the first double header of the season against the Lions.
The Lancers jumped on top early against VU's game one starter Chris Carls. Carls walked the first two batters he faced and CBU quickly plated the first run of the game on an RBI single by Cole Bullard. A Vanguard error advanced the runners to second and third base, but the Lions turned a line drive into a double play for the first two outs of the inning, preventing a potential big inning. Sean Kelley drove in CBU's second run of the game with a two-out single before Carls could snuff the rally.
CBU added three more hits against Carls in the second inning with Sharif Othman driving home a run for the Lancers, stretching the lead to 3-0. Carls escaped further damage, but the VU offense was held in check by the Lancers.
Vanguard managed one single in each of their first four at bats, but the Lions could not get a rally going and hit into one double play to erase a leadoff hit, granting CBU starter Taylor Siemens four scoreless innings to begin the game.
An RBI-double by Othman scored CBU's first run of the fourth inning before another single chased Carls for Lion reliever Brandon Godfrey. Godfrey promptly picked off the Lancer runner at first base, but a squeeze bunt by Matt Johnson to increase CBU's lead to 5-0. Godfrey picked off Johnson and got out of the jam to keep the Lions within striking distance.
However, Siemens was even tougher on the hill, holding the Lions to one hit in the next four innings. VU's lone single was Ethan Gentry's second hit of the game, but he was stranded at third base in the sixth inning.
CBU added one run in the sixth off Godfrey, giving Siemens a 6-0 lead as he cruised into the top of the ninth inning for the Lions. Jacob Wood began the frame with a single and Keegan Freeman doubled to left to put runners on second and third base with no outs. One out later, Nick Akins singled off Siemens to score Wood, and a throwing error by Siemens advanced Freeman home for VU's second run of the game. That would be as close as the Lions would get though. Siemens (5-4) retired the final two batters to secure the 6-2 win for the Lancers.
Carls (2-4) would take the loss for Vanguard while relievers Godfrey (4 IP, 5 hits, 1 run) and Ryan Pauly (1 IP, 1 strikeout) completed the pitching duties for the Lions. Akins, Wood, and Gentry each had two hits as the Lions had eight hits in the game.
Game two was a slugfest as the teams combined for 28 hits and 26 runs. VU starter Mike Anderson was roughed up early with the Lancers jumping in front 6-0 in the bottom of the first inning on a hit batter and five hits.
The Lions answered with a pair of runs off CBU starter Cory Kiefer. Beginning the rally with two outs, the Lions cashed in on a two-out, two-run double by senior Derek Craddock to cut the deficit to 6-2.
Anderson gave up a solo homer to Othman in the bottom of the third inning, putting the Lions down 7-2 as they went to the plate for the top of the fourth inning. Akins led off with a single and moved to second on a Lancer error. He scored on a single by Anderson, brining in courtesy runner Dan Black. Black advanced to third on a single by Josh Manzano and scored on a base hit by Eric Krzysiak. Craddock doubled home two more runs before the Lancers brought in reliever Sean Urena to the hill for Kiefer. Trailing 7-5, the Lions took the lead when Freeman launched a two-run bomb to left field off Urena.
Leading 8-7, Anderson could not hold on to the lead in the bottom of the fourth against the Lancers. Giving up back-to-back hits to begin the inning, Anderson also gave up the lead with a pair of runs before handing the ball over to Rich Jessup with the bases loaded and no outs. Jessup was greeted with a grand slam by Bobby Burk, a back-breaking event for the Lions. Jessup exited the inning without any more runs, but the lead established by the Lancers (13-8) would stand.
The Lions had only one hit the rest of the way while the Lancers tacked on five runs in the sixth. The first two were charged to Jessup but the final three were credited to Pauly who relieved Jessup with two runners on base in the sixth inning. Anderson (6-3) took the loss while Urena (2-2) notched the win for the Lancers.
Manzano was 3-for-3 at the plate for VU, while Freeman and Craddock had two hits each, and Craddock had four RBIs for the Lions.
Vanguard is back in action on Wednesday with a nonconference game at Occidental College on Wednesday. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore
