SURPRISE, Ariz. - After winning two games Friday, the Lions completed the sweep of the Spirit with a pair of victories on Saturday. VU used 14 hits in game one and a shut out in game two to pull off the 4-0 series against OUAZ. Vanguard holds a 26-10 overall and 15-5 conference record.
Game 1: Vanguard 9, OUAZ 3
The Lions posted a trio of runs in the third inning, led off by Chad Sutton (SO/Scottsdale, AZ)'s double to left center. Diego Altamirano (FR/Bothell, WA) followed with a double for one RBI and Omar Ortiz (JR/Las Vegas, NV) added another RBI off a single to right field. Maxx Mahon (SR/Lexington, KY) and Caleb Squire (SR/Arvada, CO) kept the inning going with walks, and a wild pitch scored Ortiz. In the fifth, after holding thr Spirit scoreless, VU added three more. With two outs, Mahon was hit my a pitch and Squire homoered to right field. Sam Neufeld (SR/Indio, CA) singled up the middle, Grady Conner (JR/Costa Mesa, CA) reached on an error and Sutton's single was good for one more Lion run. Landon Riker led off the sixth with a single and Joe Johnson (SO/Medford, OR) doubled down the right line for their seventh of the game. Johnson stole third, and Squire's single secured an 8-1 lead entering the seventh. The final Vanguard run came on a solo homer from Ortiz. The Spirit used four hits and two Lion mistakes to tally two runs in the bottom of the ninth, but Hunter White (SR/Galt, CA) closed out the match with a K. Garrett Molnar (JR/La Habra, CA) nabbed his third win of the year after going six innings with four strikeouts.
Game 2: Vanguard 2, OUAZ 0
Neither team posted a run in game two, until the Lions got on the board with a single run in the top of four. Mahon started it out with a walk and Julio Rivera (SR/Puerto Rico) singled off a bunt. Caleb Squire singled to load the bases and Sutton's sacrifice fly brought in Mahon. In the fifth, the Lions advanced the difference to two when Riker got on base with a single and then score on a Spirit mistake. Ryan Daugherty (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) finished out the final 2.2 innings to secure the Vanguard win. Tyler Steele (SR/Kingsburg, CA), who tossed the first 4.1 innings, earned the win after giving up just two hits.
Next Game: Tuesday, April 2nd against Marymount University of California at 2:30 p.m. in Costa Mesa, CA.
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