COSTA MESA -- Vanguard softball faced another strong Oregon team for a doubleheader Saturday, as the Raiders of Southern Oregon University came to town. The Lions once more split with a top-five team, as the lineup came from behind to take game one 5-4 but lost 3-0 in game two. The Lions go to 14-4 overall while the Raiders go to 10-3.
G1: Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) took the circle in game one but was soon under duress. She gave up a leadoff walk and as the runner tried to steal second, catcher Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) overthrew the target to allow the runner to get to third. The next batter then made a ground out to score the Raider at third and make it 1-0. SOU then popped off four straight singles to drive in two more before Brianna Williams got out of the frame with a 6-4-3 double play.
Down 3-0, VU got something going in the bottom of the first with a single by Lailoni Mayfield (SR/Cerritos, CA). Mayfield then swiped second and got to third on a sac-fly from Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA). Then Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) walked up to the plate and absolutely blasted a towering homerun well past the 218-foot fence in the left-field corner to make it 3-2.
However, the Raiders responded in the top of the second. A pair of singles put two on with two out. Another single scored the lead runner but the next Raider on the base path was gunned down by Amarah Farley (FR/Hemet, CA) on a perfect throw to Ashley Klopfenstein (JR/Indio, CA) at third to get out of the inning. That would prove to be huge as the game went on, as both Brianna Williams and Southern Oregon's Phelicity Fa'aita did not allow any runs over the next three frames.
The Blue and Gold got back in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Mayfield doubled to left and Morales picked up her third RBI of the day by batting in Mayfield on a single. Karly Colenzo (SR/Downey, CA) then made her season debut as a pinch hitter and went down in the count. But the veteran dug in and fought off a few pitches before flipping a shot into right field to score another run tie the game at 4-4.
Brianna Williams gave up only three hits from the top of the third through the rest of the game, as she set SOU down in order in the top of the seventh to give VU the chance to walk away with a victory in the bottom half.
Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA) was first up and she hit a high-altitude ball into right field. The right fielder for the Raiders sprinted over as fast as she could but still ended up about two feet short, as the ball landed in front of her and rolled to the corner. That gave Noble a stand-up triple and the VU faithful could feel the win coming. But Aeri Corral (FR/Corona, CA) popped up to third and Farley struck out swinging to give the Southern Oregon fans in the stands some hope for extra innings. Striding up with confidence, the hero would be Mayfield, who took the second pitch she saw and shot it into the left-field grass to bring home Noble and give the Lions the 5-4 victory.
Vanguard scored five runs on nine hits, had one error, and had three runners left on base. SOU had four runs on 10 hits and had eight runners left aboard. Brianna Williams went the distance to improve to 10-1 on the season, getting three strikeouts along the way. Fa'aita got two strikeouts in five innings, with Mayze Menefee taking the loss in relief to fall to 2-1 on the year. Mayfield was 2-3 with two runs scored and one RBI, with Morales putting up two hits and three RBI.
G2: The two teams returned for game two and LeeAnne Miranda (FR/Westminster, CA) started the game for the Blue and Gold without giving up a hit in the first. Katie Machado did the same for SOU, as the first two innings flew by without much offense.
Southern Oregon then tagged Miranda for two runs in the top of the third. A pair of singles and a sac-bunt put Raiders at second and third. Miranda fanned the next hitter but another single soon followed to put SOU up 2-0. The visitors would then get another tally in the top of the fourth, as Miranda hit the first batter in line. Another bad throw trying to get the runner stealing allowed her to take third, and the next hitter singled to make it 4-0. However, the batter tried to make a single into a double and she would be thrown out at second from Farley to Mayfield.
Despite another outfield assist on the day, the bats went cold in game two for VU. Machado gave up six hits all game and was cool and calm even when Vanguard did threaten to score. The Lions had runners at second and third with two outs in the fourth but could not bring anyone home. The squad then had Makenzie Miller (SR/Chino Hills, CA) at third with one out in the bottom of the fifth but could not get her home, as Corral struck out and Farley hit into a ground out.
The Lions tried to come back again in the home half of the seventh, as Klopfenstein led off with a single. Noble singled behind her but a strikeout and a pop-up quickly put two outs on the board. Mayfield did her best but this time, the ball did not leave the infield and SOU took game two 3-0.
The Raiders scored three runs on five hits and had three runners left on base. VU had six hits, one error, and eight left on base. Machado goes to 5-0, picking up three Ks in six innings of work. Cayla Williams picked up the first save of the year for SOU. Miranda falls to 1-3, getting three strikeouts in four innings. Anniyah Farley (JR/Hemet, CA) went the final three innings, giving up three walks but not allowing a hit. Morales and Klopfenstein had two hits each in the losing cause.
Why is it Important? VU is now 2-2 against the top two Oregon schools in the NAIA and 8-4 all-time against the Raiders.
What's Next? The team will be the designated road team but will play at home on the VU Softball Field on Wednesday, February 23, against Westcliff, with the doubleheader starting at noon.
