COSTA MESA – The No. 9 Vanguard baseball team and The Master's, which are receiving votes in the latest NAIA poll, split a doubleheader on Sunday at Dean Harvey Field.

The two pitcher's duels ended in a 4-3, 11-inning victory in game one for the Lions, while the Mustangs picked up a late run to win 3-2 in the designated 7-inning game that also went extras. The Lions are now 16-8 overall and 4-4 in Golden State Athletic Conference play, while the Mustangs go to 15-7 and 3-5 in conference action.

What Happened?

Game 1: Vanguard 4, The Master's 3 (11 innings)

Adam Stevens (SR/West Linn, OR) and Antonio Omphroy (SR/Honolulu, HI) supplied the run-scoring hits, and the Lions earned the victory on a walkoff wild pitch in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Stevens and Omphroy each collected two hits to account for half of the team's eight-hit attack.

The Lions used a three-run fourth inning to erase a 2-0 deficit. Tommy Rodriguez (SR/Yucaipa, CA) got hit by three pitches over the course of the doubleheader, including by TMU starter Ian Mortensen to lead off the inning. Rodriguez stole his 13th base of the season, advancing to third when the Mustang second baseman failed to catch the throw.

Stevens followed with a base hit to left to pare VU's deficit to 2-1. Two batters later, Omphroy unloaded his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot to left to give the Lions a 3-2 lead.

VU starter Justin Graves (SR/Irvine, CA) took the lead into the seventh. He struck out a pair of Mustangs in the second and fanned the side in the sixth, finishing his afternoon with seven K's. He issued a leadoff walk in the seventh before being lifted for reliever Jackson Webber (SR/Bothell, WA).

Graves wiggled out of a bases loaded jam in the first. In the third, he allowed a leadoff walk to Will Batz, who scored on a run-scoring double to right center by Austin Young.

The southpaw gave up a tough unearned run in TMU's half of the fourth. Tyler Grodell led off with a bunt single. With one out, Graves got Kobe Katayama to bounce into a potential inning-ending double play, but the VU second baseman bobbled the ball for an error.

The Mustangs moved both runners up 90 feet on a sac bunt, and Grodell scored on Batz's single.

Webber pitched well in relief, putting up zeroes in the seventh and eighth. Brownell began the ninth with a single and Batz sacrificed him to second. The Lions turned to Caden Byers (SO/Murrieta, CA) for the two-out save opportunity.

Byers walked Young and got out number two on an Evan Banks fly out. But Ryan Mathiesen jumped on the first pitch he saw, dumping a liner into right that scored Brownell for the tying run. Byers kept the score at 3-3 after striking out Ty Beck to end the inning.

The Lions and Mustangs battled into the 11th inning. VU reliever Nate Madole (JR/Huntington Beach, CA) retired the Mustangs in order in the top half.

Facing TMU reliever Cade Walker in the home half, the Lions got Tyler Gordon (FR/Orange, CA) aboard on a one-out walk. Rodriguez singled to put runners at the corners. VU sent pinch hitter Brendan Wagner (FR/Shelton, WA) to the plate, and Walker uncorked a wild pitch on his first offering to score Gordon with the winning run.

Madole picked up the victory to improve to 2-0 on the season.

Game 2: The Master's 3, Vanguard 2 (8 innings)

Dylan McDonald (SR/Pacifica, CA) threw a gem for the Lions, but TMU's JT Friesen earned the complete game victory as the Mustangs scored a run in the eighth inning.

Oscar Diaz (JR/Los Angeles, CA) and Fred Buckson (SO/Silverdale, WA) each produced three hits to lead the Lions offensively.

The Lions struck first against Friesen in the second with three consecutive singles from Omphroy, Michael Downtain (JR/Menifee, CA) and Buckson.

McDonald retired eight straight Mustangs – five via strikeout – before giving up a couple of tough runs in the fourth.

Batz started things with a slow roller, resulting in a throw that skipped past Omphroy and allowed Batz to advance to second. With one out, Banks lifted a high fly ball to center that got lost in the sun. The ball rolled all the way to the fence for a run-scoring double as TMU tied the game 1-1.

Mathiesen followed with a single to put runners at the corners – and Beck followed with TMU's third straight hit – a knock to left center that put the Mustangs up 2-1.

The Lions ended up on the wrong side of a bang-bang play in the fifth as Buckson was called out attempting to steal third base.

However, the Lions manufactured a run in the sixth with Rodriguez causing havoc on the basepaths. The center fielder wore a pitch for the third time in the twinbill, and promptly stole second for his 14th swipe of the season. Diaz singled to move Rodriguez up a base, and a squeeze bunt from Dane Nakatsuka (SR/Laguna Niguel, CA) brought home the tying run.

After a scoreless seventh, McDonald left the game after 101 pitches in favor of Webber, who made his second appearance of the day.

Webber allowed a leadoff triple to Grodell to start the eighth – and consecutive walks to Batz and Young loaded the bases. Kyle Hoskins (SR/Tustin, CA) was summoned to put out the fire, and he froze Banks on a strikeout. The next batter, Mathiesen, lifted a lazy fly ball that drifted into foul territory and was caught by Downtain. Grodell tagged up and beat the throw home as TMU took a 3-2 lead.

The Lions got the tying run to second in the bottom half, but Nakatsuka's fly ball to left gave Friesen the 114-pitch complete game victory. Friesen scattered nine hits and two runs, walking none and striking out five. He improved to 4-0 on the season.

Webber took the loss, falling to 5-1.

Why Is It Important?: Six of VU's nine GSAC games have been decided by one run. The Lions are 3-3 in those games.

What Was Said?: "Credit Graves and McDonald for grinding out there," said Head Coach Rob Pegg. "They both gave us a good shot to win in a couple of tight ball games. Those were elite, quality starts for us. The offense is moving in the right direction and we're excited about tomorrow."

What's Next?: Vanguard and The Master's complete the three-game GSAC set on Monday with a 2:30 p.m. contest. The game originally was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to rain.