COSTA MESA, Calif. – Three different Lions tallied two hits apiece as Vanguard downed Arizona Christian, 6-2, on Friday in Golden State Athletic Conference baseball action. The Blue and Gold improve to 14-17 overall and 7-11 in league play with the victory.
Senior Kamakani Usui (Honolulu, Hawaii) and the Pride defense controlled the game throughout and held the Firestorm scoreless for six. Usui tossed eight innings, gave up seven hits and struck out five in his outing. With the win, he moves to 2-4 on the year.
Vanguard scored its first run of the game without any base hits. Junior Thomas Mobley (Anaheim, Calif.) was struck by a pitch to lead off the contest and took first base before advancing to second on a wild pitch. A groundout from senior Jason Ochart (Glendale, Calif.) moved him to third and another groundout brought him home to earn senior Nikko Tountas (Lincolnwood, Ill.) the game's first RBI.
In the fourth, VU garnered another run off of a pair of hits to stretch the margin to two.
The Lions were not satisfied, however, and tacked on additional points in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
ACU trailed 5-0 going into the seventh, where it managed to get on the board via a solo homerun from Orrin Sears. The Firestorm would score another in the ninth but could do no more as it fell 6-2 on the VU Baseball Field.
With the loss Arizona Christian drops to 16-13 on the season and 9-13 in GSAC slates.
Jordan Bryson suffered the loss for the Firestorm on the mound.
Ochart, senior Ellis Whitman (Seattle, Wash.) and sophomore Taylor McKnight (Mission Viejo, Calif.) boasted six of the Lions' 11 hits. Each player registered two in the win. Whitman picked up two of VU's RBIs with a double to right center in the fifth inning. Junior Greg Younger (Bakersfield, Calif.) also hit a double in the game for the Blue and Gold. He was 1-for-2 on the day with an RBI and a run scored.
Vanguard will wrap its series against the Firestorm with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 23rd beginning at 12:00pm.
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