COSTA MESA – The Vanguard softball team came from behind twice to defeat Goshen College 2-1 and 5-3 in a doubleheader sweep on Saturday at the VU Softball Field. Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) threw her 11th complete game of the season in game one, while LeeAnne Miranda (FR/Westminster, CA) sparkled out of the bullpen in game two.
What Happened?
Game 1 – The freshman sensation Williams improved to 13-1 in the circle as she scattered just five hits and allowed one run while walking three and striking out five.
The Maple Leafs countered with Amanda Hartman, who was the hard luck losing pitcher on a pair of unearned runs.
Williams wiggled out of trouble in both the first and second innings as the Maple Leafs had a runner in scoring position in both frames.
After retiring the side in the third, Williams benefited from some heads up defensive play in the fourth. Goshen put runners at the corners after a double, wild pitch and a walk. Alyssa McDonald broke for second and stole the bag, but pinch runner Olivia Gibson, in an attempt to hustle home on the play, was gunned down at the plate for the second out.
McDonald landed all the way at third on the play, but Williams retired Shea VanScoter on a fly out to left to end the inning.
Hartman retired 10 straight Lions at one point before Sophia Kashou (FR/Anaheim, CA) reached on a bunt single with two outs in the fifth.
Goshen then took a 1-0 lead as Rianna Koteles homered to the deepest part of the park in center. Williams responded by retiring the next three hitters, including two by strikeout.
The VU bats woke up in the bottom of the sixth as the team put the lead off runner on for the first time since the first inning.
Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA) hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on a Karly Colenzo (SR/Downey, CA) sac bunt. Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) followed with a single to center to place runners at the corners. Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) lifted a high fly ball that McDonald dropped near the warning track in center. The error scored Chaves to tie the game at 1-1 and put Lions at second and third.
Marissa Gurrola (FR/Downey, CA) hit an infield RBI single to shortstop to score pinch runner Makenzie Miller (SR/Chino Hills, CA) as the Lions took a 2-1 lead.
Williams received more excellent defensive play in the top of the seventh. Kamille Badibanga smacked a leadoff double down the left field line, but Kashou got to the ball quickly and hit a perfect relay to Noble, who fired to Ashley Klopfenstein (JR/Indio, CA) at third. Klopfenstein applied the tag on Badibanga as she tried for the triple.
With Badibanga erased from the basepaths, Williams got the next two batters via pop out and line out to end the game.
Both of Hartman's runs were charged as unearned, as the right-hander allowed five hits with a pair of strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
Game 2 – Goshen wasted no time with a pair of runs in the first off of VU game two starter Anniyah Farley (JR/Hemet, CA).
After allowing a leadoff single to Kaylee Kates, Farley alternated between strikeout and walk to the next four batters, loading the bases with two outs. McDonald capitalized with a single to center that drove in Kates and Koteles for the 2-0 advantage.
Vanguard diced the lead in half in the bottom half of the second thanks to a leadoff triple from Kaylie Williams. With one out, Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA) knocked in Kaylie Williams with an infield single to shortstop.
The Lions evened the score at 2-2 after manufacturing a run in the bottom of the fourth. Morales laced a leadoff single into left, and Miller, who entered as a pinch runner, stole second. Miller advanced to third on a sac bunt from Gurrola. Noble posted her second RBI of the game on a hard shot up the middle to score Miller.
A three-run fifth ended up being the difference as Vanguard got the leadoff batter on for the fourth time in five innings. Leiloni Mayfield singled and advanced to second on a Chaves sac bunt.
Mayfield then raced around to score on Colenzo's single deep in the hole to shortstop. With the Lions leading 3-2, Morales singled to put runners on first and second. Goshen opted to remove starting pitcher Mia Pawelski for Hartman.
Kaylie Williams, who went 0-for-3 against Hartman in game one, solved the riddle in game two. Williams took Hartman deep to left field for a 2-RBI double and a 5-2 Vanguard lead.
Miranda entered in the third after Farley had yielded back-to-back singles. She stranded both runners, and merely allowed a pair of walks from the fourth through the sixth to Goshen.
Miranda retired eight straight Maple Leafs until running into a bit of trouble in the seventh. Edith Vega doubled with one out and moved to third on a fly out.
Catenacci laced an RBI single to center to trim the VU lead to 5-3. Pinch hitter Grace Schmitt followed with another single to put two runners aboard. However, Miranda got McDonald to ground to Noble, who threw to Klopfenstein for the force out at third to end the game.
Miranda moved to 3-3 on the season, throwing 5.0 innings of relief and allowing just three hits and one run. She also struck out four.
Why Is It Important?: The Lions continue to find ways to win. They scored 31 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Antelope Valley on Friday, and won twice again while scoring just seven times on Saturday.
What Was Said?: "After last night, we struggled a little bit offensively stringing hits together but we found a way to win," said Head Coach Amber Freeman. "We had some outstanding defense and clutch hitting from Emma Noble, which really helped us in game two. Bri and LeeAnne both threw great games, which really kept us in it. I am very proud of how my team is competing and doing whatever it takes to win."
What's Next?: The Lions won't play again at home for the next 20 days. They embark on a seven-game roadtrip beginning with a doubleheader against Marymount California on Wednesday, March 2.
