COSTA MESA -- After a sweep of the Oaks yesterday, the Vanguard baseball team faced Menlo College for two more games Saturday on the Dean Harvey Field. The Oaks used a good start from the mound to snag game one 6-3 but the Lions came back to win 10-3 in game two. The split puts the Lions at 33-6 overall and 16-4 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. The Oaks are now 11-19-1 overall and 6-17 in league action.
What Happened? G1: Tyler Armenta (SR/Anaheim, CA) was the VU starter for game one, as the Lions took the field on a beautiful day. But the Oaks spoiled the mood, as a pair of singles led to a three-run homer that gave the guests the lead. However, Armenta quickly recovered to set down the next three to move the game to the bottom of the first. Sean Riley Moran was the starter for the Oaks and he was dialed in from the start, as he frustrated the Lions through three innings of work.
Armenta went two innings, as VU brought in Dylan McDonald (JR/Pacifica, CA) in the top of the third. He kept the Oaks off the board in the third but Menlo would double the lead off of him in the fourth. A single and a wild pitch, combined with an error, put the leadoff Oak on third. A one-out single cashed him in and the next hitter lined a ball that just cleared the fence in right field for a home run to put Menlo ahead 6-0.
The Blue and Gold had a chance to get a couple back in the home half of the fourth, as Oscar Diaz (SO/Los Angeles, CA) took a walk and Chad Sutton (SR/Scottsdale, AZ) clobbered a double, but the next two hitters both struck out to end the frame. Jackson Webber (SR/Bothell, WA) took the mound in the top of the fifth and he would give up only two hits and one walk from the fourth to the eighth, giving the Lions time to attempt a comeback.
The home side got one back in the bottom of the fifth, as Ian McIntyre (JR/Tempe, AZ) scored on a single from Aki Buckson (SR/Silverdale, WA) with two outs, but the next hitter grounded out. Sutton then launched his own home run to start the bottom of the sixth, but the Lions left two on base again. A one-out single from Diaz in the bottom of the seventh pushed Joe Johnson (SR/Medford, OR) to third with one out. Sutton hit a sac-fly to bring Johnson in and cut the lead to 6-3, but the Oaks soon escaped the inning.
That would be it for the scoring, as the Oaks would claim victory in game one 6-3. MC scored six runs on 11 hits, with one error and 10 runners left on base. The Lions scored three runs on six hits, committing three errors and leaving 10 runners on base. Moran goes to 4-3, striking out five and giving up three earned runs in six and a third innings of work. Armenta falls to 4-3. Toby Welty (SR/Colorado Springs, CO) pitched the ninth for VU, striking out two. Sutton led the Lions with two hits and two RBI.
G2: Jesus Munguia (SO/Anaheim, CA) entered game two having made a string of quality starts but once again, the Oaks would put the pressure on early. An error put the leadoff runner on and back-to-back singles would eventually put Menlo ahead 1-0. MC starter Richard Kiel set the Lions down in order in the first and the Oaks took that positive energy into the top of the second.
A couple of singles put two on and with two outs, a wild pitch scored one run. Another single followed and the #9 team in the NAIA were again staring down a 3-0 deficit. But unlike in game one, the VU bats were up to the task in game two. Sutton reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the second and Tommy Rodriguez (JR/Yucaipa, CA) singled to push Sutton to third. Travis Aversa (SR/Fountain Valley, CA) followed that up with a single to bring home Sutton and make the gap 3-1.
Munguia was perfect in the top of the third and the Lions went back to work in the bottom half. A one-out single by Matthew Land (SR/Eugene, OR) was followed by a single to right by Johnson. Buckson then blasted a ball that landed five feet short of the 385 fence in center, bringing both runners home on the triple to tie the game. Diaz got hit by a pitch and Sutton walked to load the bases, with a wild pitch bringing Buckson home, as Vanguard took a 4-3 lead. Aversa then got hit by a pitch to score one and Isaiah Lee (SR/Santa Ana, CA) took a walk to bring in another, putting the Lions ahead 5-3. Even though the team left the bases loaded, they would not surrender another run.
The lead grew further in the bottom of the fourth, as a pair of walks and a wild pitch put Land at third and Buckson at first. Diaz hit a ground ball and the throw to get Buckson at second was dropped, allowing both runners to reach safely and Land to score from third. Sutton then took a walk and the ball-four pitch went to the backstop, allowing Buckson to score. Another walk loaded up the bases and Aversa got beaned again to bring in one, with Lee taking another walk to score one more to put the Blue and Gold ahead 9-0.
The Lions loaded up the bases again in the bottom of the fifth but the Oaks escaped without giving up another run. But VU had one more in them, as Lee started the sixth off with a single. Johnson then rocketed a ball deep to center field, again coming up just short of the 385 sign on the fence. He slid safely into third with a triple, with Lee cruising home to put the Lions ahead 10-3.
Jared Greer (SR/Anaheim, CA), Jacob Morales (JR/Arcadia, CA), and Caden Byers (FR/Murrieta, CA) completed the final two innings without giving up a hit, as Vanguard claimed a 10-3 win in the seven-inning game. VU had 10 runs on seven hits, one error, and 11 runners left on base. The Oaks had three runs on six hits, two errors, and two runners left on base.
Munguia goes to 8-0 on the season, as he gave up three runs, two earned, with four Ks in five innings. Kiel falls to 0-1 on the year. Johnson had two hits to lead the lineup, with Sutton, Aversa, and Lee each driving in two runs.
What was Said? "Came out of the gates a little slow today," said Head Coach Rob Pegg. "Missed some opportunities in game one but credit to their pitching as well. Happy we responded well enough in game two. Always good to get a series win in the GSAC."
Why is it Important? Westmont dropped a game against OUAZ on the weekend, leaving the standings pretty much the same as last weekend. The Warriors lead the way with a 20-4 record in the GSAC, with VU and Hope tied for second at 16-4. Westmont will play SDCC next weekend but then have a weekend off when the Lions travel to William Jessup. VU also moves to 21-14 all-time against Menlo, having now won four of the past five.
What's Next? The Lions will take on current #15 Hope International next weekend for a four-game GSAC series. The games on April 1 & 2 will start at 11:00 a.m.
