COSTA MESA, Calif. - The Lions got one final non-conference win under their belts before the start of conference play. VU defeated the Golden Eagles 5-1 Monday to move to 10-1 entering GSAC play on Friday. 

In the first, Caleb Squire (SR/Arvada, CO) reached on an error and advanced to third on Landon Riker (JR/Marysville, WA)'s double. Squire scored on a La Sierra wild pitch for the lone run of the inning. Justin Graves (FR/Irvine, CA) kept La Sierra off the board in the second with two strikeouts and a ground out. But in the third, they tied the game on a walk and one base hit. Vanguard reclaimed the lead in the fifth when Chad Sutton (SO/Scottsdale, AZ) homered to left field. They advanced the lead to 3-1 when Grady Conner (JR/Costa Mesa, CA) scored on Squire's sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the seventh, Sutton walked and Sam Neufeld (SR/Indio, CA) homered to left field for two RBI. With a 5-1 cushion, VU entered the top of the ninth. Ryan Daugherty (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) closed out the game with three straight outs, including to K's. 

Neufeld and Riker each recorded two hits and Sutton scored two runs. Graves improved to 2-0 on the year after going 3.2 innings with five strikeouts.  Garrett Molnar (JR/La Habra, CA) threw 2.1 innings with two strikeouts and only one hit allowed. Vanguard is ranked third in the NAIA in hits per game (12.889), fifth in runs scored (11.111) and fifth in RBI per game (9.778). 

"The turning point comes whenever you get a shut down inning or it's a quick 1-2-3," Molnar said. "We got back up and bang, Chad hit a homerun." 

Next Game: Friday, Feb. 22nd against Menlo College in Costa Mesa, CA in a douvle header beginning at 11 a.m. 

#ClawsUp