IRVINE, Calif. -- Vanguard softball started its season at the 2025 Concordia Kickoff Classic at the Orange County Great Park today with matches against Cal State University East Bay and CSU San Bernardino. Neither game favored the Lions, who lost to the Pioneers 2-0 and 6-1 to the Coyotes.  The Blue and Gold start the season at 0-2.
 
What Happened?  VU 0 CSUEB 2 The Lions were kept scoreless in game one against the Pioneers of Cal State East Bay. Brianna Williams had a solid opening day game, netting two strikeouts to start her season while holding CSUEB to four hits and no runs until the 7th inning. The breakthrough for the Pioneers came with a single and then an error that cashed in the first run of the game.  A double then made it 2-0 and the Lions went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Blue and Gold came close on a few instances to punching in runs, highlighted by the squad loading the bases in the bottom of the third, but the lineup left seven runners on base in the game. Kamryn Walker, Mia Hernandez, Tiffany Pope, Lilyana Roth, and Aeri Corral all got their first hits of the season in the contest.
 
Ashlee Toy kept VU in check to get the win and Williams took the loss. CSUEB had four hits and one error, while VU had five hits and two errors.
 
VU 1 CSUSB 6
The second game saw LeeAnne Miranda get the start, but an early flurry of four runs brought Mia Iacomini into the game.  The sophomore did well to hold the Coyotes scoreless through two frames, but the offense could not solve the spin of Samantha Vargas, who had a no-hitter going through three innings. 
 
Walker took a walk to lead off the top of the fourth and Adriana Portillo picked up the first Vanguard hit, but CSUSB navigated their way out of the danger.  The Coyotes loaded up the bases in the bottom of the fourth to tag on two more runs, though Iacomini got the final out to limit the damage.
 
The Lions scored in the top of the fifth, with Marissa Gurrola taking a walk and Amarah Farley smacking a single to put two on.  Walker then tattooed a double to the left-center gap that brought in Gurrola, but that was unfortunately the final scoring play in the game.  Mari Ipatzi had two scoreless innings and three Ks in her first appearance in relief of Iacomini, who had four strikeouts in three-and-a-third.  Miranda took the loss, while Vargas grabbed the win in addition to seven strikeouts. 
 
Carson Cooper, Sophia Sanchez, and Preslee Brower all made their first collegiate appearances in the nightcap.  VU had four hits, one error, and left eight runners on base.  CSUSB had six hits, one error, and left 10 aboard.
 
What's Next?  The Lions have a short turnaround, as they play two more games tomorrow at the OC Great Park. VU plays Fort Lewis at 10:30 am on Field 2 and then #2 Western Washington at 3:30 pm on Field 3.