COSTA MESA -- The final non-conference game for Vanguard baseball took a little time to get going offensively but the Lions eventually pulled away from Bethesda University Tuesday afternoon. VU won 13-5, highlighted by six runs in the fourth and clean defensive play throughout the game. VU will go to 39-10 overall.
What Happened? Bradley Enos (SO/Modesto, CA ), having been plagued with some injuries over his career, got the nod to make his first career start as a Lion Tuesday. He walked the opening batter but then got a double play right after that. Capping the inning off with a strikeout, Enos would build on that positive energy and keep Bethesda off the board in the second as well.
Enos then got three outs in a row in the top of the third after hitting the first batter of the frame and the offense soon found a way to put him ahead. Isaiah Lee (SR/Santa Ana, CA) got beaned to start the bottom half and he eventually got to third on some errant pitches. Travis Aversa (SR/Fountain Valley, CA) also got hit by a pitch and Aki Buckson (SR/Silverdale, WA) brought home Lee on a fielder's choice, with Aversa out at second on the play. Buckson went on to steal second and then got to third on a wild pitch. The fourth ball to Joe Johnson (SR/Medford, OR) was also wild, allowing Buckson to score, giving Vanguard a 2-0 lead.
Enos walked out to the mound at the start of the fourth but was soon greeted by a couple of players and eventually the whole team, as he ended his day with three innings of scoreless work, giving up one hit while walking and striking out two. Quincy Vassar (JR/Brewster, WA) struggled against the first two batters he faced but then got two huge strikeouts to strand runners at second and third to end the top of the fourth.
The bats then exploded for the Blue and Gold in the home half of the fourth. Two singles from Oscar Diaz (SO/Los Angeles, CA) and Tommy Rodriguez (JR/Yucaipa, CA) got things going and Dane Nakatsuka (JR/Laguna Niguel, CA) eventually brought home Elijah Weeks (SR/Murrieta, CA) (who was running for Diaz) on a groundout. Rodriguez soon stole third and Lee batted him home on a single. Matthew Land (SR/Eugene, OR) and Aversa both delivered singles in their respective at-bats, with Aversa bringing home Lee on his hit. Buckson then smacked a single to center to bring home both Aversa and Land, who scored all the way from first. Buckson scored a couple of plays later on a fielder's choice, giving Chad Sutton (SR/Scottsdale, AZ) the RBI. The six runs came on seven hits in the fourth, putting VU up 8-0.
The Flames loaded up the bases in the top of the fifth, scoring their first run on a wild pitch and cashing in three more on a home run. But the Lions scored two more in response in the bottom of the fifth, with a Johnson single bringing home Land and Nakatsuka to push the lead to 10-4.
Lee hit a sac-fly in the sixth to bring in one more run and Aversa battered a ball into right to pick up two RBI and increase the lead to 13-4. Both teams then started to come up empty as the game moved along. The Flames would load up the bases again in the top of the ninth, scoring one when Austin Brown (JR/Millbrae, CA) hit a batter, but he got the next BU hitter to swing and miss to end the game.
The Lions had 13 runs on 12 hits, leaving nine on base. The Flames had five runs on nine hits, one error, and also left nine on base. Enos picks up his first win, with six other VU pitchers playing in the game. Aversa, Buckson, and Johnson each had two hits, with Aversa and Buckson leading the way with three RBI. Johnson had two RBI and six other Vanguard players collected knocks on the afternoon.
What was Said? "Very happy for Brad and his accomplishment in working his way back to this opportunity," said Head Coach Rob Pegg.
