COSTA MESA, Calif. – For the third consecutive year, Vanguard hosted La Sierra on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Lions (3-0) finished with a dominant 7-0 victory over the Golden Eagles (1-2), making it the second consecutive shutout win for The Pride. Paul Keating (JR/Oceanside, CA) led Vanguard with two runs scored and two hits, including a triple in the sixth inning. Catcher Kevin Bettencourt (JR/Modesto, CA) also had two hits to go along with two runs batted in.
Junior righty Shaniel Riviera (JR/Bronx, NY) was on the mound for the Lions Monday afternoon and earned the shutout win in his five-inning performance. Riviera was hitless through four innings when he allowed his only hit in the fifth. Riviera finished with five strikeouts.
The game was scoreless through three and a half innings until Taylor McKnight (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) and Bret Collins (SR/Manhattan Beach, CA) both walked to begin the bottom of the fourth. Brock Eissman (SO/San Clemente, CA) reached on base via fielder's choice. Paul Keating then singled to score McKnight for the first run of the game. Junior Kevin Bettencourt singled to bring Eissman home. After two consecutive walks, Paul Keating came in to score to bring the Lions up 3-0.
Magic struck again for The Pride when Keating led off in the bottom of the sixth with a triple to centerfield. One batter later, Bettencourt doubled to leftfield to score Keating. The Justins came alive when Justin Davis (SR/Los Angeles, CA) pinch ran for Bettencourt and scored on a Justin Vega (SO/Chatsworth, CA) single. Jose Rojas (JR/Anaheim, CA) capped off the inning with a double to centerfield to score Vega.
Sophomore outfielder Brandon Sandoval (SO/Fallbrook, CA) scored the last run for the Lions in the eighth inning when he hit a solo shot to leftfield. The Lions had ten hits compared to the Golden Eagles' two hits in the second straight combined shutout for VU Baseball.
Since 2007, the Lions have won 13 consecutive games against La Sierra. The Lions have been 4-0 against La Sierra on MLK day, including a doubleheader sweep back in 2013.
The Lions will enjoy a three-day break before they travel to Biola University for a three-game series. The first game will be at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23, at Eagles Diamond.
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