THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Vanguard softball team sallied forth for the first of six-straight games on the road Tuesday. VU took on Cal Lutheran for the first double-header this week and carried two more wins back to Costa Mesa, taking a 10-0 win in five innings and a 7-4 win in six innings that was called due to darkness. That puts the Lions at 8-0 to start the year, while CLU will start 0-2.
G 1: The Lions were on top early in the first game, as Lailoni Mayfield (SR/Cerritos, CA) started the day with a base knock to left. She advanced on a sacrifice fly and Amarah Farley (FR/Hemet, CA) singled to center. The CLU fielder tried to handle the bouncing ball but could not, allowing Mayfield to score and put VU up 1-0. Farley stole second and then advanced to third on an error before Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) walked to put runners at the corners with two outs. Mackenzie Hofmann (SO/Tujunga, CA) then got aboard on an error that scored Farley, as the Lions took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the first.
Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) was absolutely clinical in the three innings she went, striking out three, walking one, and giving up only three hits, with only one runner reaching third. Back to the dish, Farley made it 3-0 in the top of the second by lining a ball into left field to score Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA). In the top of the third, Noble would double to score two more to make it 5-0.
The winning blow came in a five-run top of the fifth to put the mercy rule into play. Julia Ceballos (SO/Oceanside, CA) singled to right to score Sophia Kashou (FR/Anaheim, CA), Adrianna Natividad (FR/Norwalk, CA) hit a hard ball that eventually scored Mackenzie Miller and Ceballos on an error, Natividad later scored on a wild pitch, and a double from Carli Row (SO/Riverside, CA) drove home Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA). VU also got perfect pitching in the fourth and fifth from Anniyah Farley (JR/Hemet, CA), who gave up no hits, one walk, and struck out one. The bottom of the fifth was quick and clean as Vanguard claimed the victory.
The Lions scored 10 runs on nine hits and left eight on runners on base. The Regals had only three hits and five runners left on base, committing five errors as well. B. Williams picked up her fifth win of the year, while Chaves and Amarah had two hits each to lead the lineup. Noble, Natividad, and Amarah each had two RBI as well.
G 2: The Lions went up again to start the second game, as K. Williams doubled to score Mayfield, who had led off the game with a walk. Playing with a lead, Mia Portillo (SO/Buena Park, CA) got the ball for game two and had a clean bottom of the first. But the Regals got on the board to tie the game in the second with a double. The hosts then scored on a wild pitch in the bottom half of the third to take a 2-1 lead, as LeeAnne Miranda (FR/Westminster, CA) came in to pitch for Portillo. The new hurler got VU out of the frame with a ground out and the bats got to work to erase the gap.
Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) singled to left to start the fourth, and Row eventually doubled to score her to knot the score at 2-2. The Lions then got two runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead again. Mayfield started the rally with a double to right and got to third on a sac-bunt from Chaves. Amarah then hit a 50/50 ball that the third baseman had a problem with, allowing Mayfield to score. K. Williams then doubled to give the Lions a 4-2 advantage in the game. However, the Regals then battled right back by scoring a run on two hits to start the home half of the fifth. B. Williams returned to the circle and gave up another run off a double to tie the game, but proceeded to get three outs to send the game to the sixth all tied at four.
With the sun slowly setting, Vanguard picked up the urgency. Row was hit by a pitch and Miller came in to run for her to begin the sixth. An error by the third baseman allowed Aeri Corral (FR/Corona, CA) to reach first and put Miller at third. Mayfield then doubled to right to score both and put VU ahead for good. Mayfield soon capped off the scoring by coming home on a passed ball. The Lions then let themselves be called out on the bases so that the Regals could come to the plate so the game could be completed with darkness approaching. CLU went up and down quickly in the bottom half to give the Lions the win before the sun set.
VU scored seven runs on seven hits, committed one error, and left six on base. The Regals scored four runs on eight hits, had two errors, and left seven on the base paths. B. Williams will get credit for the win, putting her at 6-0 on the year. Mayfield and K. Williams each had two hits and two RBI to top the charts for the Lions in game two.
What's Next? The team will play Oregon Tech (1) and Simpson (RV) in Redding each on Friday and Saturday, starting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday.
