COSTA MESA -- The Vanguard softball team concluded its Pacific West Conference series against CUI on Saturday but the Blue and Gold could not topple the league leaders.  CUI was prescise in scoring runs when they mattered, taking game one 6-3 and game two 4-0.  The Lions dropped to 7-22 overall and 3-12 in the PacWest and CUI went to 25-4, 15-1.
 
What Happened?  The Golden Eagles vaulted to a 1-0 edge in the top of the first off Brianna Williams with a walk and two singles, but the defense helped out on the second base hit.  Aeri Corral tracked down the bouncing ball, hit Kamryn Walker at the cutoff spot, and the VU shortstop zipped it to Adrianna Natividad at second in time to cut down the CUI runner trying to make her single a double.  A strikeout ended the frame to keep Lions in striking distance, but the only VU hit through three frames was a single by Adriana Portillo in the bottom of the second.
 
Yet the fortunes for Vanguard changed in the bottom of the fourth with Lilyana Roth working a one-out walk.  Mia Hernandez took her place on first on a ground out and Amarah Farley benefitted from CUI starter Bella Calvo making a mistake on a grounder back to the circle to put runners at first and second.  Andrea Connor ran for Hernandez and her speed allowed her to race home on an Adriana Portillo single to right-center field to tie the contest at 1-1.  Tiffany Pope accepted a four-pitch walk to load the bases but a foul-out by Natividad left the bases juiced.
 
The tie did not last long though, as CUI moved runners efficiently in the top of the fifth to regain the lead.  A leadoff walk was bunted to second and the Golden Eagles then produced a single to go ahead 2-1 and a triple to make it a 3-1 edge.  A suicide squeeze brought home the fourth CUI run of the game, and the visitors kept a 4-1 until the top of the sixth.  Mari Ipatzi got two strikeouts to start the frame, but a two-out walked was followed by three singles to send the Golden Eagles ahead 6-1.
 
Farley pulled one back for the Lions on a long at-bat in the bottom of the sixth, as the center fielder fouled off three pitches before she crushed a home run to left for her second home run of the year and the series. 
 
The Lions trimmed another run off the CUI advantage with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, with Megan Ireland placing a single down in left field and Walker knocking a double to the left-center fence to make it 6-3.  But the Golden Eagles retired the Lions after that to claim the victory.
 
CUI scored six runs on 11 hits, left five on base, and had one error.  VU had two runs on five hits and had five runners left on base.  Williams took the loss and fell to 3-10 while recording five strikeouts on 78 pitches in five innings.  Ipatzi fanned two over two frames.  Portillo went 2-for-3 to pace the lineup.
 
CUI 4 VU 0  The Golden Eagles scored four runs on nine hits in the shutout victory for the visitors in game two, with Vanguard getting four hits.  Both sides had two errors and VU left seven runners on base while CUI stranded six.  Kacie Gossett was clinical in the circle for the Golden Eagles, with one of the leading pitchers in the PacWest striking out three and holding a team off the board for the sixth time this campaign.  Portillo notched two singles and ended 2-for-3 again to lead the Lions, with a double by Megan Ireland and a single by Farley being the other two Vanguard hits. 
 
The Lions had a great diving play by Pope at second base in the top of the second and some good catches in the outfield, with Roth nabbing a deep fly ball off the ever-dangerous Kayla Rodgers in the top of the sixth.  Vanessa Robles gave up the first run in the top of the second and surrendered three hits over two innings.  She took the loss to fall to 0-2.  Mia Iacomini went the next four and gave up three runs while LeeAnne Miranda struck out two hitters in the top of the seventh.
 
What's Next?  The Lions will host the Hope International Royals on Wednesday for a 2:00 p.m. doubleheader.