COSTA MESA -- With Vanguard softball set to take on the top team in the conference on Saturday, the Lions took care of business Friday against Menlo. VU won 11-2 and 2-1 in the doubleheader, improving to 33-11 overall and 12-6 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. Menlo falls to 11-24 overall and 3-12 in the conference.
What Happened? G1: Brianna Williams (FR/Chandler, AZ) had a clean first inning and the offense soon exploded in the bottom half. A single by Lailoni Mayfield (SR/Cerritos, CA) was followed by a sensational triple off the bat of Noni Chaves (SO/Ontario, CA). Kaylie Williams (FR/Moreno Valley, CA) then boomed a double to left, as the Lions went up 2-0. Bianca Morales (SO/Spring Valley, CA) was hit by a pitch and Amarah Farley (FR/Hemet, CA) would load up the bases with a single. Ashley Klopfenstein (JR/Indio, CA) put Vanguard ahead 3-0 on a sac-fly and Emma Noble (FR/Camarillo, CA) got aboard after that to load the bases up again. Aeri Corral (FR/Corona, CA) brought home a run on a walk and Mayfield then put a single down into right field. However, she made too big of a turn around first, getting in a rundown. She would get tagged out but Noble was able to score from first, putting VU ahead 7-0 after one inning.
The Oaks loaded up the bases in the top of the second but Brianna Williams got a couple of ground outs to help negate the chance. The Blue and Gold then picked up two more runs in the home half of the second. Chaves reached on a bunt single down the third-base line and a sac-bunt sent her to second. Morales then doubled to left to bring in Chaves and Karly Colenzo (SR/Downey, CA) swatted a single to center to score Morales and make it 9-0.
The team poured on two more in the bottom of the fourth. Carli Row (SO/Riverside, CA) collected a pinch-hit single and Farley produced a deep double to the left-field corner that brought Row home. Klopfenstein then singled to put the lead at 11-0. LeeAnne Miranda (FR/Westminster, CA) replaced Brianna Williams in the top of the fourth and had a good inning. But Menlo got something going against her in the top of the fifth. The guests quickly loaded up the bases and scored two. But Miranda then settled down and got back-to-back strikeouts to end the game, as the mercy rule came into affect.
The Lions scored 11 runs on 14 hits, with three runners left on base. MC scored two runs on six hits with five runners left on base. Brianna Williams went three, with two Ks to improve to 22-4. Miranda gave up two runs on four hits and struck out four. Farley had three hits to lead the lineup, going 3-3 with one RBI and two runs scored. Mayfield was 2-for-3 with three RBI, and both Chaves and Kaylie Williams had two hits and one RBI. Klopfenstein had two RBI.
G2: The Lions put Anniyah Farley (JR/Hemet, CA) in the circle for game two and she was extremely effective Friday. With a couple of quick innings in the first and second, Farley was cruising. But the Oaks then got a couple of walks and a single to load up the bases. MC took the lead on a ground out but Farley then shut down the visitors with two more ground outs.
Farley would not allow another hit the rest of the game, as she baffled the Oaks for the final four frames. The Vanguard bats took a little longer to solve Ayanna Rubio, who kept the Blue and Gold at bay for three innings. But the squad found a way in the bottom of the fourth.
Corral hit a single and when the ball was thrown back in, some confusion followed, allowing her to move to second. Mayfield then lined a single to center and Corral hustled around third to score. A pitching change ensued but Chaves got another deep double to make it 2-1 VU. The teams combined for one hit the rest of the way but it would be Farley who picked up the win, as she rolled the rest of the game to move to 3-3 on the season.
The Lions scored two runs on seven hits, with two errors and nine runners left on base. Menlo had one run on one hit, with one error and three left on base. Chaves was 3-for-4 to pace the lineup, netting one RBI. Mayfield had the other RBI.
Why is it Important? Vanguard remains two games behind William Jessup in the standings and have a chance to jump them Saturday.
What's Next? The doubleheader against the WJU will start at noon tomorrow.
