COSTA MESA, Calif. – The Vanguard Lions (2-0) baseball opened the season by hosting the University of Antelope Valley in a doubleheader on the VU Baseball Field. The Lions swept the Pioneers; as they went on to win 5-3 in the first game and recorded a 6-0 shutout in the second half of the twin bill.
Game One: Vanguard 5, Antelope Valley 3
Southpaw Scott Torrey (SR/Simi Valley, CA) received the opening start for The Pride. The senior pitched four innings with three strikeouts and allowed two runs on five hits. Right-hander Marshall McKinnon (SR/Los Gatos, CA) notched the win in relief effort on two innings pitched, allowing just one run. Michael Jordan (JR/Murrieta, CA) pitched three scoreless innings and earned the save.
The first runs of the game came in the top of the second inning when the Pioneers belted a two-run shot off of Torrey. Vanguard answered right back in the bottom of the inning when Taylor McKnight (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) tagged from third to score on a sacrifice fly.
Down 2-1, centerfielder Paul Keating (JR/Oceanside, CA) opened the bottom of the fifth with a double. Two batters later with two runners on, sophomore outfielder Brandon Sandoval (SO/Fallbrook, CA) hit a double to score two runs for the Lions. Sandoval later advanced to third on a passed ball and scored off of a McKnight single to make it a 4-2 VU lead.
The Pioneers responded in the sixth when they scored one run off of McKinnon. The Lions registered three of their nine hits in the seventh inning, including Bret Collin's double, in which he later scored on a Pioneer throwing error. Michael Jordan came in the seventh inning and preserved the three-run lead with three scoreless innings to give the Lions their first win of the season.
Game Two: Vanguard 6, Antelope Valley 0
The second half of the doubleheader saw a seven-inning meeting and Sean Isaac (SO/Redondo Beach, CA) on the mound for the Lions. Isaac got the win through four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Matt Silberman (FR/Murrieta, CA), Roberto Johnson (SO/San Marcos, CA), and Sam Frakes (SR/Eagle Rock, CA) each pitched one scoreless inning to record the combined shutout for the Lions.
Vanguard began the second game with a fast start in the first inning. Sandoval walked in the first at-bat and later stole both second and third base. Sandoval then scored on a groundout by Jose Rojas (JR/Anaheim, CA). Outfielder Brock Eissman (SO/San Clemente, CA) reached on base by a hit-by-pitch and scored on a Taylor McKnight single down leftfield.
Designated hitter Michael Flores (SR/Dinuba, CA) delivered a solo-shot in the bottom second for Vanguard's first home run of the season. The Lions capitalized off of Pioneer miscues in the bottom of the third to score three unearned runs. Jose Rojas began with a single to left field. The shortstop then advanced to second base on a balk, to third base on a passed ball, and scored on a wild pitch. First baseman David Stone (SR/Huntington Beach, CA) reached first on walk and stole second. Flores walked and Justin Davis (SR/Los Angeles, CA) was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Catcher Cole McMath (SR/Riverside, CA) walked to score Stone and Keating walked to score Flores. The Lions allowed just three hits from the Pioneers.
The 6-0 victory improves Vanguard to 2-0 on the year. McKnight led the Lions through both games batting .500 on three for six hitting with two runs batted in and a run scored. Vanguard will face La Sierra at home on Monday, January 19, at 12:00 p.m.
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