COSTA MESA -- Vanguard softball might have been the road team but due to a scheduling conflict, the Blue and Gold faced Westcliff on the VU Softball field Wednesday afternoon. The Lions rolled in game one 8-0 but struggled for runs in the second game, eventually losing on a walk-off triple in the bottom of the seventh. VU goes to 15-4 overall and the Warriors got to 1-5.
What Happened? G1: The Blue and Gold got to hit first and Amarah Farley (FR/Hemet, CA) started the afternoon off with a double to center She then stole third and Karly Colenzo (SR/Downey, CA) bashed a single to make it 1-0 Vanguard. However, a double play by Westcliff got the Warriors out of the frame. That brought Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) out to the circle and she once again delivered her best, as she got a double play and another ground out to retire the side in the first.
Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA) got hit by a pitch in the top of the second and a grounder from Adrianna Natividad (FR/Norwalk, CA) caused problems for the third baseman, who could not get the throw over to first in time, allowing both runners to reach safely. A sac-bunt moved both of them one base and Farley launched her second double of the day to cash in two more runs. Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA) then made it back-to-back doubles to score Farley and make it 4-0.
Williams gave up one hit in the first, a double in the second, and one more single in the fourth, but that was it. She had four strikeouts in the shutout effort and did not walk a batter, as she held the Warriors in check throughout game one with some nasty pitches.
VU scored three in the top of the fifth and one more in the top of the sixth to get the victory. Reigning Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Week Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) got a one-out triple in the fifth, with Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) shooting a single through on the left side to bring her home. Natividad then singled back up the middle with two outs to score both Noble and Ashley Klopfenstein (JR/Indio, CA). An error in the sixth allowed Chaves to reach second and a single from Colenzo would make it 8-0 Vanguard. Brianna Williams sent the Warriors down in order in the bottom of the sixth to net her 11th win of the year via the mercy rule.
The Lions had eight runs on 11 hits, committed one error, and left three on base. WU had three hits, two errors, and five left on base. Farley led the lineup with three hits, Colenzo and Morales each had two, and Farley, Colenzo, and Natividad each had two RBI.
G2: The second game was the complete opposite of the first. The VU bats went a little cold against Westcliff starter Nina Hendriks, as a double-play and a ground out sent the Lions down in order in the top of the first. Mia Portillo (SO/Buena Park, CA) went out to the circle as the Vanguard starter but gave up a leadoff knock. The runner then stole second and got to third on a past ball. A single by the next batter scored her to give WU the 1-0 lead, as the Warriors then loaded the bases after that. However, Portillo got a pop-up in the infield that she caught herself to strand all three runners on.
The Blue and Gold responded instantly in the top of the second. Morales took a walk to start the frame and Kaylie Williams doubled to left-center field to score her and tie the game at 1-1. Despite the hot start in the inning, VU then went down in order.
Portillo walked the first hitter in the second and Anniyah Farley (JR/Hemet, CA) was called out to replace her. She soon got out of the inning but VU also went down quietly in the third.
The Warriors loaded up the bases in the home half of the third but Anniyah Farley got a strikeout to end the danger. Both pitchers then plowed through the lineups over the next few innings, as the pressure rose with the game tied at 1-1 heading into the seventh.
The Lions got a base hit from Kaylie Williams to start the seventh and Klopfenstein executed the sac-bunt to perfection, pushing pinch runner Sophia Kashou (FR/Anaheim, CA) over to second. But a pop-up to the shortstop and a ground out cut short the attempt to score the potential winning run.
The Warriors got a one-out single to start their half of the inning and the next batter smacked a hard hit ball to the left side. The low liner evaded the diving attempts of Klopfenstein at third and Aeri Corral (FR/Corona, CA) in left, with the ball reaching the corner fence. The runner from first touched all the bases and stomped on home to give Westcliff the 2-1 walk-off victory.
Anniyah Farley takes the loss to fall to 1-1 on the season, as she went five and two-thirds, allowing four hits, one run, two walks, and securing four Ks. Hendriks went all seven, also giving up four hits and one run, walking three, and fanning four, to go to 1-2 on the season.
VU had one run on four hits and left four runners one. The Warriors had two runs on six hits and left nine on base. Kaylie Williams had two of the hits for VU and the lone RBI.
What's Next? The Lions will travel up to Lancaster for a doubleheader against the Pioneers of Antelope Valley on Friday, February 25, starting at 4:00 p.m.
