COSTA MESA -- The Vanguard baseball team was able to respond perfectly to adversity on Saturday in the final two Golden State Athletic Conference games against Hope International. The Lions came from behind to win 7-6 in game one and also returned from a run down to win 3-1 in game two. The wins put Vanguard at 35-8 overall and 18-6 in the GSAC, with HIU falling to 31-10 overall and 18-6 in their GSAC record as well.
What Happened? G1: Dylan McDonald (JR/Pacifica, CA) got the start for the Lions in the first game and although he gave up a one-out double, the starter kept his head down and got the next two Royals out to end the threat. VU then gave their pitcher some runs, as the bats activated early. Matthew Land (SR/Eugene, OR) hit a single to center and Travis Aversa (SR/Fountain Valley, CA) also swatted a single to left. Aki Buckson (SR/Silverdale, WA) then blasted a double to deep right-center, with Land coming home and Aversa scoring all the way from first to make it 2-0.
McDonald then had to work some in the top of the second, as HIU battled back. A walk and a single, followed by an error on a pickoff attempt, led to a sac-fly that made it 2-1. However, that was all Hope got, and the Lions were equally quick to respond. Tommy Rodriguez (JR/Yucaipa, CA) blasted a home run to start the bottom of the second, putting the Blue and Gold ahead 3-1. The scoring then disappeared during the third frame but Hope International went at it again in their favorite inning.
Having scored five and then eight runs in the top of the fourth yesterday, the Royals got four on the board in game one Saturday. A walk, a single, and then a triple to deep center brought home the first two, with a home run two batters later putting Hope ahead 5-3.
Vanguard struggled to come back Friday but the team remained focused on Saturday. Chad Sutton (SR/Scottsdale, AZ) destroyed a pitch for a home run to start the fourth, slimming the gap to 5-4. Jackson Webber (SR/Bothell, WA) entered for VU in the top of the fifth and he would enjoy a clean fifth, keeping the game close. But the Royals smacked a home run of their own in the sixth to back up by two.
Down 6-4, the Lions got a single from Oscar Diaz (SO/Los Angeles, CA) to start the bottom of the sixth. Rodriguez stayed hot, slapping another single. Luke Arias (JR/Spring Valley, CA) then put down a sac-bunt but the HIU pitcher never got a handle on it, with Arias reaching first to load the bases. With one out, Land shot a single to left-center to bring in both Rodriguez and Diaz to tie the game at six-all.
With one out in the seventh, Jacob Morales (JR/Arcadia, CA) came in to replace Webber and though he gave up a single, he got the next batter to hit into a smartly turned double play to send the game to the bottom of the frame. Joe Johnson (SR/Medford, OR) started things off with a walk and sac-bunt got him to second. Rodriguez was again locked in, batting a single to score Johnson to give the Lions a 7-6 lead.
Another double play helped Morales end the eighth quickly and Quincy Vassar (JR/Brewster, WA) and Jared Greer (SR/Anaheim, CA) teamed up to hold the Royals in the top of the ninth to secure a 7-6 victory for VU.
The Lions had seven runs on 11 hits in the wild win, committing one error and leaving seven on base. HIU scored six runs on 14 hits, with one error and eight left on base. Morales picked up the win, going to 1-1, with Greer collecting his first save of the year. Connor Martin falls to 1-1. Rodriguez was 4-for-4 with two RBI. Land had two hits and two RBI, as did Buckson, as the trio were the standouts in the winning effort.
G2: After run totals of 13, 14, and 13 in each of the first three games, the two squads were then held relatively in check during game four. The seven-inning game saw Jesus Munguia (SO/Anaheim, CA) and Chase Hanson have clean first innings. However, the Royals would score first once more. A walk, a single, and a double put HIU ahead 1-0. VU could not strike back in the second but the team was soon back in a position to score in the bottom of the third.
Ian McIntyre (JR/Tempe, AZ) took a walk and then stole second, with Land taking a walk as well. Aversa was hit by a pitch to load up the bases and Buckson delivered the goods by shooting a single back up the middle to score two. Buckson then stole second and shortly thereafter, a wild pitch brought Aversa home to put the Lions ahead 3-1.
Hope was not so easily deterred and the guests got two on quickly in the top of the fourth, with Munguia coming out and Vassar going in. He gave up a walk to load the bases but the next batter hit a ground ball to the left side and Sutton threw home to get the force out. Vassar got a fly out and then Caden Byers (FR/Murrieta, CA) entered and got another fly out to end the danger.
The top of the sixth provided the final firework of the day. A walk put a runner on and the next HIU batter lined a ball expertly down the left-field line, with the ball rolling deep into the corner. McIntyre went after it and gunned it to Johnson, as the lead runner made the turn for home. Johnson reared back and delivered a mighty throw right to Diaz at home, who made the tag with about half a step to spare, recording a brilliant outfield relay to put two outs on the board. Webber was then called from the pen to get the final out in the sixth and Morales got three outs in the top of the seventh to hand VU a 3-1 victory.
VU scored three runs on three hits, leaving three on base. HIU scored one run on six hits, with 11 left on base. Byers goes to 2-0, as his two relief innings saw him give up one hit and two walks. Munguia went three, giving up five hits and fanning three. Morales picks up save number two on the year. Buckson had two of the three RBI, with McIntyre and Sutton picking up the other two VU hits.
Why is it Important? VU goes to 20-14 against Hope all-time. The wins also put the Blue and Gold back in a tie with the Royals for second place in the GSAC standings once again. Westmont split on the day with San Diego Christian, meaning VU is three games behind the Warriors, with the Warriors now off from GSAC action until they conclude the season at Vanguard in two weekends.
What was said? "Two really gutsy, scrappy, clutch wins against a strong Hope team. Really proud with how the guys rallied on both sides of the ball," said Head Coach Rob Pegg.
What's Next? The team will go to William Jessup and play four GSAC games on April 8 & 9, starting at 11:00 a.m. each day.
