Costa Mesa -- It was opening day for the Vanguard Softball team and the Lions picked up two wins against Saint Katherine to get the season going. VU won 10-1 in five innings in game one and had to come from behind to claim a 4-2 victory in game two. Vanguard will start the year 2-0, while the Firebirds will begin their campaign at 0-2.
Game 1 - Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) got the ball to start the season but the Firebirds got a run off of her in the first. An error and a stolen base allowed a runner to get in scoring position, with a double a couple of batters later making it 1-0 for SKU.
However, the offense picked up Williams that one run, and then some Lailoni Mayfield (SR/Cerritos, CA) walked to start the bottom half of the first and a bunt single by Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA) made it two aboard with zero outs. Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) then put the Blue and Gold ahead with a double, as she drove in both Mayfield and Chaves. Ashley Klopfenstein (JR/Indio, CA) was hit by a pitch and with no wind on the field, Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) was able to mash a ball well over the far, 200-plus foot fence in left to make it 5-1.
Williams then walloped another home run in the bottom of the third to put the home side up 6-1, as the freshman showed off her strength by again clearing the left-field fence with distance to spare. The final blow came in the bottom of the fourth, with a double from Chaves and a homer for Morales putting VU ahead 9-1. Mackenzie Hofmann (SO/Tujunga, CA) made the mercy rule applicable, as she drove in a run on a single to left to make it 10-1. B. Williams allowed only three hits after the top of the first and had a 1-2-3 top of the fifth to complete the win in five innings for VU.
The Lions scored 10 runs on 11 hits and had only one error. Williams went all five, giving up four hits, one run (unearned), two walks, and six strikeouts. Morales and K. Williams each drove in four runs, with Kaylie netting three hits and Morales two.
Game 2 - Vanguard trailed once again in the second game but the comeback this time needed a little more time. Mia Portillo (SO/Buena Park, CA) got the nod to start the second half of the double-header and she had two clean innings as did SKU's Catherine Dages.
Portillo then ran into some problems in the top of the third. A single, a walk, and a passed ball left runners at the corners, with a single driving in both runners a batter later. Another walk put runners at the corners again and Portillo was called to the dugout, having gone 2.2 innings, giving up three hits and two earned runs to go along with five strikeouts. Brianna Williams returned to the circle for VU and on her first pitch, the runner on first broke for second. In a smart play, catcher Carli Row (SO/Riverside, CA) threw to third to keep the lead Firebird on the bag instead of trying to get the first base runner. The wise play paid off, as Williams then struck out the hitter at the plate, which would prove to be crucial as the game moved on.
Row started off the bottom of the third with a double and Aeri Corral (FR/Corona, CA) knocked her in with a single. But even though Corral got to third, she would be stranded there, leaving the Lions down 2-1. Neither team did anything in the fourth but VU tied the game in the fifth. It was Row who started the process again, as she hit a single to the left side. She was bunted over to second and a batter later, Mayfield flared a ball out to right. Sophia Kashou, running for Row, scored and a bad throw back to second allowed Mayfield to get to third. But she would be left there as Chaves hit a flyout to end the inning.
Vanguard then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as a walk by Hoffman was followed by doubles from Amarah Farley (FR/Hemet, CA) and Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA) to score two and put the Blue and Gold ahead 4-2. Williams continued to be clinical, as she shut down the Firebirds in the seventh to collect her second win of the day.
Williams went four and a third and gave up only one hit while striking out three. Mayfield and Row each had two hits to lead the way in game two, with four different players driving in a run in the contest.
What's Next? The Lions will play a doubleheader at Claremont-Mudd Scripps on Friday, February 4, starting at noon.
