COSTA MESA, Calif. – Vanguard came from behind on Monday to post a dominant 17-6 victory over La Sierra in its first contest of 2014. The Lions got three hits and two RBIs apiece from junior Bret Collins (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), senior Thomas Mobley (Anaheim, Calif.) and senior Ian Sakry (Long Beach, Calif.) in the win.
Junior transfer Scott Torrey (Simi Valley, Calif.) earned the first start of the season for Vanguard and fell behind 3-0 early as La Sierra recorded four hits to score two runs in the first and another in the third.
In the bottom of the third, however, the Pride found a rhythm, quickly tying the contest at 3-all by way of two VU knocks and an error by the Golden Eagles. Senior catcher Jack Daru (Bradenton, Fla.) led off the inning for the Lions with a single to center.
Head coach Rob Pegg pinch ran junior Justin Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) for Daru, which paid off as Davis advanced to second on a throwing error and then moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt from LSU pitcher David Oliveras.
With Davis on third, senior Nick Rodda (Santa Rosa, Calif.) was hit by a pitch and took first, setting the stage for another newcomer, freshman Brandon Sandoval (Fallbrook, Calif.), who reached on a fielder's choice to pick up Vanguard's first RBI of the season.
After a Mobley fly-out, Bret Collins walked, pushing Sandoval to second and Rodda to third.
Up to bat with the bases stacked, Sakry confidently put the ball in play, recording a left-field single to bring Sandoval and Rodda home.
The top of the fourth saw LSU post another run, but Daru responded with a solo blast over the left field fence to bring the Pride and the Golden Eagles back to even at 4-4.
After a three-up, three-down fifth inning from Torrey, Vanguard took its first lead of the competition with a combination of offensive prowess and LSU mishaps.
Sandoval tallied his second hit of the day, bunting for a single and scoring via Bret Collins' RBI knock to second.
The Pride cranked up the heat in the sixth, stretching the margin to three runs early in the frame via a hit and an RBI apiece from senior Greg Younger (Bakersfield, Calif.), Rodda and Sandoval.
Vanguard wasn't finished, however, as Mobley stepped to the plate with Sandoval on first and sent a ball sailing over the wall in left to put his squad up 10-4.
Following two more Lions' singles (B. Collins & Sakry), junior Taylor McKnight (Mission Viejo, Calif.) repeated Daru and Mobley's feat with a three-run dinger to left to give VU 13 runs.
In the seventh, with junior Marshall McKinnon (Los Gatos, Calif.) on the mound in relief, La Sierra posted its fifth run, unearned, on a Cole Chaisson base hit. The Golden Eagles' sixth run came two batters later on an RBI single by way of Freddy Rivas Jr. to right field. Jake Magness also attempted to score on the play after reaching on a walk, but was thrown out at the plate by VU right fielder, senior John Schwer (Burbank, Calif.).
Vanguard tacked on four more runs in the eighth as Mobley and B. Collins each garnered their third hits of the day. Sakry and Schwer also registered knocks in the frame.
Torrey claimed his first victory as a Lion and moves to 1-0 on the fledgling season. He managed six strike-outs on the afternoon.
Sandoval and Daru amassed two knocks and two RBIs for the Blue and Gold in the 17-6 effort.
The Pride will take four days off before hosting No. 16 Cal State San Marcos on January 24 in a 1:00 pm match-up.
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