ASHLAND, Ore. – The Vanguard softball team endured a tough start to the 2023 season with a pair of losses to No. 10 Southern Oregon on Friday afternoon at University Field.

The Lions lost 4-3 in game one and fell 9-4 in game two despite a pinch hit grand slam from Carli Row (JR/Riverside, CA).

Cayla Williams and Katie Machado tossed back-to-back complete games for the Raiders. Ashley Klopfenstein (SR/Indio, CA) had a hit in each game for the Lions.

What Happened?

Game 1: Brianna Williams (SO/Chandler, AZ), who won 24 games as a freshman in 2022, took the ball for VU in the circle. Williams suffered the loss, allowing six hits and four runs (three earned) in 6.0 innings. She walked five and struck out five.

Williams yielded single runs to the Raiders from the second through fifth innings.

The Raiders took a 1-0 lead in the second as four straight batters reached base with two outs. Williams surrendered two singles and a walk, followed by a bases-loaded Deja Acosta walk to force in the first run.

A pair of VU errors helped plate SOU's second run in the third inning. Cayla Williams reached second on a VU throwing error. Pinch runner Faith Moultrie came around to score on another VU miscue after the second baseman misfielded a bunt attempt.

The Lions cobbled together a run in the fourth as Klopfenstein led off with an infield single. Kaylie Williams (SO/Moreno Valley, CA) sacrificed Klopfenstein to second, then Bianca Morales (JR/Spring Valley, CA) drove in the run on a single to center.

SOU increased the lead to 3-1 in the fourth with another two-out rally. Consecutive walks put a runner into scoring position, and Cayla Williams laced a single to left to plate Acosta.

The Raiders collected an insurance run in the fifth as pinch runner Gabby Heiken came home on a Kailer Fulton base hit. Heiken had entered the game for Lauren Weinberg, who had produced a one-out double.

Trailing 4-1, the Lions were not done as they pulled two runs back in the sixth. Noni Chaves (JR/Ontario, CA) got plunked by a pitch to lead off the frame and moved to second on a passed ball. Making her Blue and Gold debut, pinch hitter Ashlyn Whipple (FR/Las Vegas, NV) smacked a RBI double to left. Aeri Corral (SO/Corona, CA) replaced Whipple on the basepaths, and promptly scooted to third on a throwing error by the SOU catcher.

Klopfenstein picked up an RBI on a line out to left, her sacrifice fly scoring Corral.

Unfortunately, the Lions could not muster the tying or go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh, although they made things interesting. Emma Noble (SO/Camarillo, CA) singled with one out and got herself in scoring position with a two-out steal. However, Cayla Williams finished out the complete game as she cleanly fielded a Chaves bunt attempt.

In going the distance, Cayla Williams scattered four hits and three runs (two earned) with two walks and four strikeouts.

Game 2: Emily Anderson (JR/Fort Collins, CO) grabbed the ball in her first VU appearance since missing the entire 2022 season due to injury.

The right-hander struggled in her return, as she lasted just a third of an inning. The Raiders capitalized on back-to-back walks to open the frame, as Cayla Williams singled through the right side to score Acosta for a 1-0 lead. Both runners moved up a base on an error by the VU right fielder to put runners at second and third.

SOU tacked on a second run on an RBI sac bunt from Hannah Clavelle. Lindsey Stripling followed with run-scoring triple to left that scored Cayla Williams and forced Anderson from the game.

The Lions brought in LeeAnn Miranda, who walked Sammie Pemberton to put runners at the corners. VU caught Pemberton stealing on a 2-6-4-3 rundown, but Stripling snuck home with the fourth SOU run in the process.

Clavelle extended the lead to 5-0 with a one-out home run in the third. Fulton's RBI knock off VU reliever Vanessa Robles (FR/Fresno, CA) then scored Pemberton, who laced a two-out double to left.

Machado was firmly in control after retiring eight of the first nine Lion hitters. The Lions threatened in the third with back-to-back one-out singles, but Machado wiggled out of the jam.

The Raiders took a 7-0 lead into the top half of the sixth when the Lion offense suddenly got a jolt from the bat of Row.

Mackenzie Hoffman stroked a leadoff single – and the Lions loaded the bases with one after Machado issued free passes to Whipple and Kaylie Williams. In her first at-bat of the season, Row launched a Machado offering well over the fence in left field for a grand slam, chopping the SOU lead to 7-4.

The Raiders grabbed two runs back off Robles in the bottom half as Cayla Williams struck again with a two-out, two-RBI double into left. She finished the doubleheader 3-for-8 with four RBI.

VU got two runners aboard with two outs in the seventh, but Machado shut the door on a groundout to first.

Why Is It Important?: The Lions had runners in scoring position a combined six times in the doubleheader, but did not capitalize with the exception of Row's grand slam.

What Was Said?: "We may not have gotten the outcome we wanted today, but for day one we saw a lot of glimpses of things we do well and things we need to work on," said Sydney Lahners, who made her Lion head coaching debut. "We are ready to come out tomorrow and compete."

What's Next?: VU returns to action with another doubleheader on Saturday against Simpson. The neutral site games in Ashland, Ore. take place at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.