COSTA MESA – Jose Parreno broke a 2-2 tie with a bases loaded two-RBI single in the top of the seventh inning, helping Antelope Valley post a 5-3 victory over Vanguard in the season opener for both baseball teams on Friday afternoon at Dean Harvey Field.
Parreno finished 1-for-4 with three RBI as the Lions lost a season opener for the first time since 2018.
Isaiah Gastellum earned the victory after tossing 4.0 innings, allowing six hits and an unearned run. Tate Daring picked up the save after striking out three in 2.1 scoreless innings.
The Lions used four pitchers, with reliever Jake Hiner saddled with the loss. The southpaw logged 3.0 innings and yielded four hits and two runs while walking two and striking out four.
Jesus Munguia drew the start, and lasted 4.0 innings. He gave up four hits, two runs, and walked four and struck out two.
Three Lions posted two-hit games – Michael Downtain, Tevis Payne and Adam Stevens – as the Blue and Gold totaled eight hits for the game. Payne, Steven Casas and Nino Vultaggio recorded their first career hits as Lions.
VU had runners in scoring position in every inning but the second, eighth and ninth. The Lions scored two in the third and one more in the seventh. The Lions had the bases loaded with two outs in the fourth but were unable to push across any runs.
What Happened?: The Pioneers struck for the first run off Munguia in the second on a sacrifice fly from Luke Carr, taking advantage of walks to Parreno and Nathan Guidara. Munguia avoided further damage as he fanned Nick Bello with runners on first and third.
UAV took a 2-0 lead with another run in the third. Noah Blythe and Ethan Hagan got aboard via a walk and single, advancing 90 feet on Dirk Ryan's ground out. Parreno hit a grounder to second that scored Blythe.
The Lions worked three walks off UAV starter Tyler DeYoung in the third, as patience at the plate put Corey Jarrell, Fred Buckson and Oscar Diaz aboard with two outs. Downtain laced a single to right as Buckson and Jarrell scored to tie the game at 2-2.
That hit chased DeYoung in favor of Gastellum. After Downtain stole second to put two runners in scoring position, Gastellum got Payne to fly out to right to end the threat.
The score remained tied through the middle innings, but UAV got to Hiner in the seventh after the redshirt freshman hurler had posted zeroes in the fifth and sixth.
Blythe singled with one out and Hagan followed with a hot shot past the VU third baseman. Blythe hustled to third and Hagan advanced to second on the throw. After intentionally walking Ryan to load the bases, Hiner allowed the two-run single to Parreno. He struck out Guidara to quash any further damage.
The Lions had a two-out rally in the seventh as Payne and Stevens singled off Gastellum. Daring entered the game, and got Antonio Omphroy to hit a hard grounder that the shortstop bobbled. The error enabled Payne to score from second as VU trimmed its deficit to 4-3. But Daring got a ground out to keep VU from rallying any further.
Guidara had an RBI single in the ninth off VU's Jackson Webber for an insurance run.
Why Is It Important?: Vanguard put pressure on the base paths with eight hits, seven walks and a hit by pitch, creating plenty of scoring opportunities.
What's Next?: The Lions travel to Antelope Valley for a Saturday doubleheader at The Hangar in Lancaster. First pitch is at 11:00 a.m.
