COSTA MESA -- It was a great start for Vanguard softball in the Pacific West Conference series against Menlo yesterday, as VU took both games with multi-run leads.  The Lions grabbed game one 4-2 before a 10-3 decision gave the squad a clean sweep on Friday.  The Lions enter Saturday's action at 18-28 overall and 13-17 in PacWest play.
 
What Happened?  Menlo put the first run of the day on the board in the top of the second, as the visitors got a double and a single to take a 1-0 edge.  But Brianna Williams made a nice glove play to retire the side, and the offense quickly put her in front.
 
Amarah Farley bashed a double over the head of the MC center fielder to start the bottom of the second and Tiffany Pope followed her with a single.  After Pope stole second, an error on a ground ball by Adrianna Natividad brought Farley in to tie the contest at 1-1.  With runners on the corners, Natividad stole second and a groundout by Aeri Corral cashed in Pope.  A single by Kamryn Walker punched the Natividad across the plate to heave VU ahead 3-1.
 
Menlo brought a run back in the top of the fourth, as the Oaks scored while the Lions picked off a runner who was trying to steal second.  But Williams and the defense allowed only one more hit the rest of the way to pick up the victory.  A single by Natividad with one out in the bottom of the sixth was followed by an MC error and a double by Megan Ireland to tally the final run of the ball game.
 
The Lions scored four runs on eight hits, had one error, and left seven runners on base.  MC had two runs on four hits, two errors, and four base runners stranded.  Williams improved to 8-13 and got one strikeout in seven innings of work.  Farley and Ireland had 2-for-3 days from the plate, and three different VU players had an RBI.
 
VU 10 MC 3  LeeAnne Miranda secured a win that was never in doubt in the twin bill.  After setting down the Oaks in the top of the first, a Walker single led off the bottom of the first for the Lions.  Mia Hernandez took a walk and a double by Farley scooted Vanguard to a 1-0 lead.
 
An error put VU players at first and second with one out in the bottom of the second and a single by Walker brought home Gaby Ramirez to extend the score line to 2-0.  Lilyana Roth then swatted a single to bring in Corral to make the lead 3-0 after two frames.
 
The Oaks rallied for two runs in the top of the third but VU put things away in the bottom half.  Hernandez and Farley slapped back-to-back singles and Natividad was hit by a pitch to load up the bases.  Ramirez took a walk to make it 4-2 and Ireland took another BB to make it 5-2.  Walker then slashed a double into the left-field corner to register two more runs and a sacrifice fly by Roth had the Blue and Gold ahead 8-2 entering the top of the fourth. 
 
While the Oaks found a one-run response in the top of the fourth, Miranda and the defense shut down Menlo after that, with the only other MC base runner coming in the top of the seventh.  Vanguard almost put the game away via the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth as the squad took five walks, with a wild pitch thrown into the mix, to surge ahead 10-3, though a double play ended the inning.
 
Vanguard scored 10 runs on nine hits, had three errors, and left eight runners on the base paths.  MC had three runs, six hits, two errors, and four runners left on base.  Miranda fanned two and improved to 5-5 in the complete-game effort.  Walker led the offense with a 3-of-5 performance and three RBI.  Roth and Farley each recorded two hits in the game and Roth and Ireland each had two RBI.