ASHLAND, Ore. -- Southern Oregon knocked the Vanguard Lions out of the 2023 NAIA Softball World Series Opening Round 10-4 Tuesday afternoon.  The Lions tried to rebound from their loss to Reinhardt earlier in the day but could not hold up the SOU bats, who struck for multiple runs in three innings.  The Lions made things close in the bottom of the fifth but will end the season 27-30 overall.  SOU improves to 44-12 and will face Reinhardt for a shot at advancing to the World Series.
 
What Happened?  LeeAnne Miranda got the nod to open game two and she had produced some success against SOU in the opening game of the bracket, holding the Raiders down over two innings.  However, the hosts were fresh off a clutch 2-0 win over Southeastern (Fla.) and fed off that energy in the top of the first.  Two errors and a stolen base put runners on second and third and a double made it 2-0 SOU.  A single immediately followed and though Miranda settled down and got the next three outs, including Kaylie Williams catching an SOU runner trying to steal, the Lions trailed 3-0.
 
Cayla Williams had done ok against VU in the first game of the bracket but after going the distance in the game against Southeastern earlier in the day for a shutout victory, she remained dialed in during the twin bill.  The Lions were held hitless in the first inning and though the team got a runner to third base in both the second and the third frames, no runs would come across the plate.
 
The game seemed to get out of hand in the top of the third, as SOU scored three more runs, with Brianna Williams coming in to replace Miranda.  Williams got the final outs of the frame and despite a 6-0 gap, the Lions did respond.
 
Tiffany Pope started the bottom of the fifth with a single and Megan Ireland picked up a base knock as well.  Pope was thrown out on a ground out but Ireland go to second and Noni Chaves reached first safely. Ashley Klopfenstein then splashed down with a single to load up the bases with two outs and up stepped Kaylie Williams.  She delivered once more as she smoked a triple to right-center field to clear the pond and halve the deficit to 6-3.  Bianca Morales then singled to bring home the VU catcher, as the Lions forced Cayla Williams out of the game.  Unfortunately, Katie Machado got the final out of the frame to halt the attack, as VU trailed 6-4 entering the sixth.
 
The Raiders sensed the threat to their season and lashed out with four runs of their own in the top of the sixth, and the Blue and Gold were unable to recover.  VU got one final hit, a single by Marissa Gurrola, but would not score again, falling 10-6.
 
SOU scored 10 runs on 12 hits and left only four runners on base.  VU had four runs on nine hits, four errors, and left five runners stranded on base.  Miranda falls to 6-6 and went three and a third innings, getting one strikeout and being tagged for six runs, four earned.  Brianna Williams allowed four runs on eight hits and threw the rest of the game.  Kaylie Williams went 2-for-4 and picked up three RBI.  Morales went 2-for-3, the only other Lion to have a multi-hit game.