COSTA MESA, Calif. - The Lions lost the final two games of their series against Arizona Christian University on Saturday. After falling to the Firestorm in game one 6-8, the dropped game two 7-2. With eight games remaining on their conference slate, Vanguard is now 28-13 overall and 16-8 in GSAC. 

_{Game 1: Vanguard 6, Arizona Christian University 8} 

After giving up one run in the first inning, Caleb Squire (SR/Arvada, CO) saved a ball going up the middle with a diving play for the second out and Grady Conner (JR/Costa Mesa, CA) caught a fly ball to end the inning.  In the bottom of the second, Joe Johnson (SO/Medford, OR) got on base with a line drive and Sam Neufeld (SR/Indio, CA) reached on an error. Chad Sutton (SO/Scottsdale, AZ) came up next and sent a three-run shot over the left field fence with two outs for the 3-1 lead. The Firestorm fired back with a solo home run in the top of the third, but Vanguard responded in the bottom of the inning. Landon Riker (JR/Marysville, WA) and Squire hit consecutive singles and Ortiz's basehit loaded the bases. Max Mahon hit a sacrifice fly for one RBI and the 4-2 Vanguard advantage entering the fourth. In the top of the fifth, the Firestorm strung together a series fo hits to score three and take 5-4 control over the Lions. Despite making solid contact in their next at bat, the ACU defense fought of the Lions with two diving catches. The following inning, ACU dropped three more runs to push their lead to 8-4. In the bottom of six, Johnson and Neufeld singled with one down. Despite loading the bases, Arizona Christian evaded the threat and escaped with no runs allowed. Julio Rivera (SR/Puerto Rico) made it a two run game in the bottom of the eighth when he knocked a two out double, but ACU held on for the 6-8 victory. 

Game 2: Vanguard 2,  Arizona Christian University 7

The Firestorm picked up where they left off in game one, scoring three runs in the first inning behind five hits. In the third, ACU added one more on a pass ball. In the fifth inning, down 5-0, Sutton hit a solo shot to get Vanguard on the board. Jakob Farmer (SO/Norwalk, CA) checked into the game during the fifth inning, striking out two in the sixth and getting support from Rivera, who picked off an ACU runner attempting to steal second. The final Lion run came on a solo homer from Isaiah Lee (FR/Santa Ana, CA) during his first at bat and on the first pitch. The Firestorm closed out the game with a 2-7 win. 

"We are just going to come out and practice everyday really hard," Lee said. "Our pitching staff has been doing really good and even though our hitters might not have had the best day today we know what we can do and that we are going to come back strong."

"Arizona Christian outplayed us in every facet of the game," Head Coach Rob Pegg said. "They were more prepared and their guys were tougher in the key moments."

_{Next Game: Wednesday, April 10th in a single game at 2:30 p.m. against Bethesda University} 

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