ESCONDIDO, Calif. – Hitting the field after a weekend sweep, Vanguard baseball traveled south to take on a familiar foe, as VU squared off with the University of Saint Katherine.  The Lions played the Firebirds three times last year, including an 8-3 win at the Avista NAIA World Series Opening Round.  VU ended up in a bit of a slugfest Tuesday, as each team had 10 hits, but the Blue and Gold had enough pop to win 9-7 on the road.  The Lions improve to 9-2 overall and drop the Firebirds to 5-4.

What Happened?  Saint Katherine had their ace on the mound, as Chris Paruleski took on the VU lineup after helping USK beat Westmont to start the year.  He sent the Lions down in order in the first and his counterpart Jesus Munguia (JR/Anaheim, CA) (JR/Anaheim, CA) took to the mound for VU.  Even though he gave up a double and the runner got to third, Munguia got a big two-out strikeout to keep the score at 0-0.

Vanguard broke onto the scoreboard in the top of the second, as Adam Stevens (SR/West Linn, OR) started the inning with a walk.  Oscar Diaz (JR/Los Angeles, CA) then singled and Antonio Omphroy (SR/Honolulu, HI) did as well to load up the bases.  Corey Jarrell (JR/Brewster, WA) was up next and he hit a grounder that allowed Stevens to score, with Omphroy out at second on the play.  Emiliano Alarcon (SO/Monmouth, OR) then cashed in the second VU run with a deep sac fly to right, but Paruleski followed that with a strikeout to end the frame.

Munguia had a clean bottom half but the Firebirds came back at him with some runs in the bottom of the third.  A two-out single was followed by a home run by Johnny Lopez, knotting things at 2-2.

The Blue and Gold surged back into the lead in the top of the fifth, with Dane Nakatsuka (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) getting hit by a pitch to get a runner on.  Stevens then blasted a home run of his own, his second of the year, to put VU up 4-2.  Jarrell would reach on a fielder's choice two batters later and Christopher Famolaro (SO/San Diego, CA) pinch-ran for him.  He got to second on a bunt by Alarcon and both then stole a base.  A single by Tyler Gordon (FR/Orange, CA) brought in Famolaro, increasing the lead to 5-2.

That pushed Paruleski out of the game, with Munguia coming out after the fourth.  Quincy Vassar (SR/Brewster, WA) pitched two scoreless innings in the fifth and sixth and the Lions responded by putting up four runs in the top of the seventh.

A couple of errors scored the first run of the frame, with a double by Alarcon scoring two more, with the added benefit that Alarcon got to third on the throw.  That allowed Gordon to push the VU third baseman home with a sac fly, putting the lead at 9-2.

Those last two runs proved to be the difference, as the Firebirds took flight in search of a comeback in the seventh.  Jake Hiner (FR/Hemet, CA) came to the mound for the Blue and Gold but gave up a lead-off home run.  USK then loaded the bases and scored one off a walk and another off a sac fly, bringing the gap down to 9-5.  Caden Byers (SO/Murrieta, CA) entered the contest and helped end the threat, but Saint Katherine made another push in the home half of the eighth.  Back-to-back two-out solo shots brought the lead down to 9-7.  But Nate Madole (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) escaped without surrendering another run.  Both teams then went down quietly in the ninth, with Jackson Webber (SR/Bothell, WA) dashing any hopes of a USK upset with a one-two-three inning to seal the win.

The Lions scored nine runs on 10 hits and had one error.  USK had seven runs on 10 hits and collected four errors.  The Lions took the lead with Vassar on the mound, moving him to 2-0, while Paruleski falls to 1-1.  Webber gets his first save of the season.  Gordon paced the lineup with three hits, with Alarcon topping the RBI chart with three in addition to having two hits.  Stevens also had two RBI to end second on the team in that department for the day.

What was Said?  "This was a good, gritty victory for us," said Head Coach Rob Pegg.  "The conditions were not great and the field got a little slick at times, but the team found a way."  

What's Next? Vanguard will come home and open Golden State Athletic Conference play against Arizona Christian.  The first game of the three-game series will be Friday, February 17, at 2 p.m.