COSTA MESA -- Vanguard baseball concluded its series against Cedarville (Ohio) today with two victories.  The Yellow Jackets played well enough to win in game one but the visitors hit 11 VU batters throughout the game and three alone in the bottom of the 10th to surrender a 9-8 lead, with Vanguard winning 10-9.  VU then played with a measured pace in game two, combining timely plays in all three phases to win 4-1 to complete the series sweep.  Vanguard improved to 4-2 and the Yellow Jackets dropped to 0-4.
 
 
.VU 10   CU 9
Jake Hiner did not get off to a great start as he hit the first Cedarville batter and walked the next hitter to put two on.  Another hit batter loaded the bases, and with one out, a double to right field scored two to put the Yellow Jackets ahead early.  Trailing but not wasting any time in the bottom of the first, Jarred Mazzaferro reached on an error and stole second, but he was left there as CU got out of the inning with its lead intact.
 
The Yellow Jackets got cooking again in the top of the fourth, as a walk and two doubles increased the advantage to 5-0.  But Vanguard erased one of those runs in the bottom half, as Josh Schleichardt led off with a single.  A ground out by Noah Madole pushed Schleichardt to third and he came home on a rocketed double by Abe Hernandez to the right-center gap. 

While the difference between the two sides did not change in the fifth, both teams tossed a three-spot on the scoreboard to put the tally at 8-4 CU.  The Yellow Jackets got a single, a hit batter, and two more singles to lead 8-1, but VU's rebuttal started with a single by Levi Hall.  Mazzaferro walked and Fred Buckson launched a double to left field to score Hall.  Schleichardt followed with a double ripped down the left-field line to bring both Lions in and keep the deficit at four.
 
Mitch Hunter, Jesus Barreto, and Jacob Morales held the visitors to a pair of hits and no runs over four innings, which set the table for a mighty home half of the eighth inning.    Tyler Shigenaka doubled to right field to lead off the frame and Jaxson Davis and Tristan Gallegos were hit by pitches to juice the bases.  Christopher Famolaro singled to center to easily score one and a fielding error by the CU center fielder on that hit allowed another run to score.  Now down 8-6, a throwing error by the Cedarville shortstop let two more cross home plate to knot the contest at 8-8.
 
With both sides unable to score in the ninth, the Yellow Jackets put up one run on Maxwell Montplaisir off a walk and a double in the 10th.  But the Lions would not be denied.  Gallegos took a walk to start the bottom of the 10th.  Evan Avitia lthen aid down a bunt single to put two on, and from there, the arms of Cedarville failed the visitors, as Walker Harris hit three of the next five batters to not only work the bases load but bring in the tying and winning runs for the Lions, who celebrated on the field with a 10-9 victory.
 
The Lions scored 10 runs on eight hits, had three errors, and left eight runners on base.  CU had nine runs, 12 hits, three errors, and seven runners left on the base paths.  Hiner lasted four innings and had three Ks and Montplaisir got two strikeouts and picked up his first VU win a day after his first Vanguard save.  Schleichardt paced VU with two hits and three RBI.
 
VU 4 CU 1
 
The Blue and Gold got a double play to help Chris Paruleski get out of the top of the first without any damage done and the offense picked him up soon thereafter, as Mazzaferro started the bottom half with a walk.  Schleichardt was hit by a pitch and Mazzaferro got to third on a flyout by Buckson.  The Lions got Mazzaferro home on a wild pitch and a Hernandez single brought in Schleichardt to put the home side ahead 2-0.
 
The Blue and Gold penned another run in the bottom of the fifth as Avitia took a leadoff walk.  A sacrifice bunt by Mazzaferro got Avitia to second and a blistering double down the left-field line by Buckson brought cashed in Avitia to make it 3-0.
 
The pitchers and defenses played smoothly throughout the one-hour and 58-minute game.  Coen Ball went four innings and collected four Ks for the Yellow Jackets, while Paruleski went five scoreless innings with four strikeouts himself in a quality outing.  Dylan Scott took over in the top of the sixth and fanned two in a clean frame.  Jacob Cuculich entered in the seventh and the Yellow Jackets responded to the deficit by getting a leadoff walk, with a wild pitch soon thereafter and an error on the same play pushing that runner to third.  A single gave Cedarville a lone run, and another walk followed to put two Yellow Jackets on base, but Cuculich got a strikeout and a flyout to end the ball game.
 
Vanguard scored four runs on five hits, had one error, and left five runners aboard.  CU had one run on seven hits, one error, and six stranded runners.  It was balanced offensively for Vanguard, as five different players had hits and two VU batters had one RBI.  Paruleski picked up his first Vanguard win.
 
What was Said?  "Very good and gritty weekend overall," relayed Head Coach Rob Pegg.  "Our guys found a way to find the victory.  Looking forward to the next one."
 
What's Next?  That is all the tune-up that the Lions get, as VU starts Pacific West Conference action next Thursday in an 11:00 a.m. doubleheader at CUI.