IRVINE, Calif. – Although the bats were hot today for the Lions hitters, the pitching could not match that performance as Vanguard dropped the first of a an important three game series to the Concordia University Eagles by a score of 10-6. With the loss the Lions drop to 32-14 on the season with a conference mark of 25-12, while the Eagle improve to 38-11 with a 27-10 GSAC record.
Vanguard sent their ace to the mound, Sean Isaac (JR/Redondo Beach, CA), in hopes that they could stifle the potent Eagles lineup, but that would not be the case as the home team jumped on the normally steady right-hander right off the bat, collecting eight hits and seven runs during his 5.2 innings of work. After the Lions took the early 1-0 lead through a Jose Rojas (JR/Anaheim, CA) RBI single, the top of the Concordia lineup rattled off two runs in the bottom of the first to take the 2-1 lead. It would be a back and forth game from there; with the two squads combining for 26 hits on the afternoon.
The Lions would strike again in the fourth inning when Taylor McKnight (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) would slap a single up the middle to score two runs and to give the visitors the 3-2 lead. The Eagles would tie it up in the bottom of the inning though to knot it up a 3-3. However, Vanguard would not let the tie last long, as they were able to get another run across the plate when it was Rojas again with a double into left field to make it 4-3, sending Justin Davis (SR/Los Angeles, CA) home. Rojas was a perfect four-for-four on the day with two RBI's.
The Eagles batters were relentless though and tied it up in the bottom of the inning at 4-4, but it was the Lions that kept pushing and took the 5-4 lead in the sixth inning through a McKnight RBI single into right field. The lead would be the last of the day though, as the Eagles came back hard in the bottom of the inning, scoring three runs thanks to some fielding errors, taking the 7-5 advantage.
McKnight would provide another RBI single in the eighth to bring it within one at 7-6, but Concordia would shut the door in the bottom of the inning with three runs to take the 10-6 lead. Eagles closer Tyler Mark would come in to close out things out, giving him an NAIA leading 19 saves on the year.
The Lions batters fared well on the day, with Brandon Sandoval (SO/Fallbrook, CA) and McKnight both collecting three hits each, while McKnight had four RBI's to pace the offense. They will hope for the same production in their games tomorrow, as they sit five games back from first place in the conference, and only two games back on Concordia.
The doubleheader tomorrow is scheduled for Noon on the campus of Concordia University.
-GOLDPRIDE-
