IRVINE, Calif. – Vanguard baseball played two vastly different games on Saturday, as the Lions clobbered the Westcliff Warriors 17-1 in the opening contest of the day.  The Blue and Gold were then precise in a 2-0 shutout victory in game two to emerge 3-0 on the young season, sending WU down to 0-3.  Dane Nakatsuka (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) paced the team with five RBI in game one, with Antonio Omphroy (SR/Honolulu, HI) hitting the go-ahead home run in the top of the seventh in game two.  This is the third time in the past four seasons that the Lions have started the campaign with three wins.

What Happened?

Game 1  – Vanguard 17, Westcliff 1

The offense had been held relatively in check on Friday but was out to party early and often on Saturday, as VU scored in seven of the nine innings.  Corey Jarrell (JR/Brewster, WA) led off the top of the first with a walk and a Nakatsuka single put him on second base.  A walk to Adam Stevens (SR/West Linn, OR) juiced the bases and Oscar Diaz (JR/Los Angeles, CA) picked up the opening RBI on a fielder's choice, as all the Lions beat out the defense on the play.  Fred Buckson (SO/Silverdale, WA) would pick up a sac-fly RBI to make it 2-0 Vanguard, giving Jesus Munguia (JR/Anaheim, CA) the start of what would be more than enough run support.

Westcliff did swipe a run on a sac fly in the bottom of the first, but after that, Munguia and the rest of the relievers would surrender only two hits and two walks over the final eight innings of play.

Meanwhile, after a quiet second frame, the Lions picked up another run in the top of the third as Tommy Rodriguez (SR/Yucaipa, CA) opened the inning with a double to left.  He then stole third and a ground out for Stevens allowed Rodriguez to break for home and score to make it 3-1. 

A zero in the fourth was also made up for with two runs in the fifth, as Nakatsuka led off with a single to right.  Stevens then ripped a triple to the fence in center to score Nakatsuka, and Diaz would cash in Stevens with a sac fly.

 A wild pitch put Jarrell on third and Rodriguez on second with one out in the top of the six, with a ground out for Nakatsuka bringing Jarrell in.  Stevens then slashed a single to right-center field to score Rodriguez, making the score 7-0.  VU would load the bases in the top of the seventh, with Rodriguez bringing in the first run on a single to right-center field.  Up stepped Nakatsuka and he unloaded on a pitch to make his first home run of the year a grand slam.  The Lions would score five more over the final two innings, as the Blue and Gold closed out the 17-1 win with ease.

VU scored 17 runs on 17 hits, had one error, and left 13 on base.  Westcliff had one run on three hits, two errors, and seven left aboard.  Munguia goes to 1-0, as he went four innings, struck out two, walked three, and gave up the one WU run.  Jacob Dahlstrom (JR/Renton, WA) gave up one hit in two innings and Quincy Vassar (SR/Brewster, WA), Toby Welty (SR/Colorado Springs, CO), and Jake Hiner (FR/Hemet, CA) each had clean innings. 

Offensively, Nakatsuka was 3-for-7 with five RBI.  Rodriguez went 3-for-6 and Stevens went 3-for-5, as each picked up three RBI.  Diaz had two RBI and Omphroy had two hits and one RBI.

Game 2  – Vanguard 2, Westcliff 0

Dylan McDonald (SR/Pacifica, CA) started for the Lions in the second half of the doubleheader and he was dialed in all game long, as he went all seven innings and fanned 14 batters, including 10 in a row.  He gave up only two hits, both in the seventh inning, but did not allow a run or a walk.  Keaton Slack was also dealing for the Warriors, but he could not hold VU off the board forever.

The Lions got the first hit of the game from Luke Arias (SR/Spring Valley, CA) in the bottom of the second and got a knock from Tyler Gordon (FR/Orange, CA) in the top of the third, but neither could get past second base.  The Blue and Gold looked ready to score in the top of the fifth, as a fielder's choice put Emiliano Alarcon (SO/Monmouth, OR) on first.  A single for Gordon to center, along with an error by Westcliff, put Alacron on third.  Gordon stole second but Slack did not slack off, as he got a strikeout and a ground out to avoid giving up the opening run. 

That left the rest of the action for the top of the seventh.  Omphroy strode to the plate with one out and bombed his first HR of the year over the fence in left.  Gordon reached on an error with two outs, racing all the way to second on the bad play by the Warrior shortstop.  He got to third on a wild pitch, with Jarrell taking a walk in the process.  Slack then picked up a throwing error trying to keep Jarrell from stealing, with Gordon trotting home and Jarrell reaching second on the miscue.  McDonald gave up two singles in the bottom of the seventh but stranded the Warriors on base with a strikeout and a ground out to end the game.

The Lions scored two runs on six hits and left six on base.  WU had two hits, four errors, and two left on base.  McDonald goes to 1-0 in the dominant decision, with Slack falling to 0-1.  Omphroy had two of the VU hits, as did Gordon, as the two led the squad in game two.

Why is it Important?  The wins keep Vanguard perfect against Westcliff, as VU is now 7-0 all-time against the Warriors.  The Lions outscored WC 22-2 in the series and repeated the sweep of Westcliff in three games just like the 2020 team.

What was Said?  "It was fun to see the offense get going in game one," said Head Coach Rob Pegg.  "McDonald was electric in game two and that was great to watch.  This was a strong start to the year."

What's Next? The Blue and Gold will now try themselves against four NAIA top-25 teams in the NAIA Ball East/West Challenge in Lakeland, Florida.  VU will first square off against No. 8 St. Thomas on Thursday, February 2, at 1:00 p.m.