COSTA MESA, Calif. – On the final day of the regular season, the Vanguard University Lions were able to earn a split against the visiting The Master's College Mustangs. The first game saw the Lions fall just short in extra innings by a score of 5-3, but in the nightcap it was a late rally that propelled the home team past the 8th ranked Mustangs, and ending the regular season with the 5-4 win.
The Lions enter into post-season play with a 34-18 record, and finished fourth in the GSAC with a 27-16 conference mark. With the one win today the Mustangs clinched the GSAC regular-season championship and improve to 41-10 on the season with a 33-9 conference record.
Game One: Vanguard 3, The Master's College 5 (10 Innings):
Taking the mound for the final time at home was senior Scott Torrey (SR/Simi Valley, CA), and he was put in a tough situation facing a very motivated Mustang squad. He did enough to keep the Lions in the game though, and pitched a solid six and two-third innings, scattering ten hits and allowing three runs. The Mustangs would hit early to take a 1-0 in the first inning, but the teams would trade runs throughout the game in what turned out to be an exciting contest.
The Lions would strike in the second inning to tie things up at 1-1 when a David Stone (SR/Huntington Beach, CA) single would send Jose Rojas (JR/Anaheim, CA) across the plate. The teams would trade runs in the fifth inning to make it 2-2, but the Lions would take their first lead of the game in the next inning. Brandon Sandoval (SO/Fallbrook, CA) would provide the RBI double in the sixth to bring Taylor McKnight (SR/Mission Viejo, CA) home and make it 3-2.
Unfortunately the lead would be short lived, as the Mustangs hit back in the next inning to tie it up at 3-3. Marshall McKinnon (SR/Los Gatos, CA) would come in to relieve Torrey and try to close out the game for the Lions, but the visitors had too much to play for, with a win securing the GSAC regular-season title. McKinnon was able to shutout the Mustangs in the eighth and ninth inning, but the visitors were able to tack on two runs in the top of the tenth inning, and the Lions were unable to respond, dropping the first game 5-3.
Game Two: Vanguard 5, The Master's College 4:
The nightcap provided another exciting game for the fans in attendance, as a late comeback by the Lions kept the Mustangs from the sweep. Jordan Moak (SR/Sulphur, LA) took the mound, and the senior southpaw provided a strong showing by going five and two-thirds innings, and only allowing five hits in his final home outing.
The visitors would once again strike first, scoring a run in the second inning to take the early 1-0 lead. The Lions would find themselves in a deeper hole after the fourth inning when the Mustangs knocked two more runs in to make it 3-0. After being shut out for the first four innings, the Lions were finally able to strike when McKnight singled to send Stone across the plate and make it 3-1.
The Mustangs would score again to extend their lead to 4-1, but that would be the last of their scoring, and the Lions bats would explode in the bottom of the sixth to stage a furious comeback. In that inning the Lions were able to gather four hits and score four runs to take the 5-4 lead. Justin Davis (SR/Los Angeles, CA) would start things off with a walk and Paul Keating (JR/Oceanside, CA) followed after being hit by a pitch. A double from Jose Rojas sent Davis home, and three RBI singles in a row from Stone, Bret Collins (SR/Manhattan Beach, CA), and McKnight would round out the scoring for the inning.
Michael Jordan (JR/Murrieta, CA) would come in to close things out with a perfect inning to earn the win, and the Lions would end the regular season with an important win to help their confidence going into the GSAC Championship.
The Lions will enter the GSAC Championship as the fourth seed in the double-elimination tournament. The Master's will be the number one seed and the host of the tournament that begins on Thursday. Vanguard will have their first game on Thursday against the host school, with the first pitch scheduled for Noon in Santa Clarita.
-GOLDPRIDE-
