IRVINE, Calif. -- Vanguard softball commenced its 2026 campaign with its first two games at the CUI Kickoff tournament at the Great Park in Irvine. The Lions got some redemption and a win for new head coach
Nicole Thomas with a 4-1 victory over Northwest Nazarene after Cal State Monterey Bay handed the Lions a 16-0 defeat in the morning. The Lions start the season off at 1-1.
CSUMB 16 VU 0
Mari Ipatzi threw the first pitch for the Blue and Gold, and though the Otters got a one-out triple, Ipatzi got the next two hitters out to brush off the opening knock. However, CSUMB struck for three runs in the top of the second, using two singles, a double, and a triple to vault ahead 3-0. That brought
Mia Iacomini into the contest, but the Otters tagged on two more on a bases-loaded double. Iacomini then got a K to retire the side, but things did not improve.
CSUMB got another run in the top of the third, though
Carson Cooper caught a runner stealing to notch her first assist of the season. But a single forced VU to swap pitchers again, with
Summer Stephens taking over. However, Monterey Bay juiced the bases and grew the lead to 11-0. Five more runs over the fourth and fifth frames put the Otters ahead 16-0, which would be the final score. Only
Lilyana Roth got a hit for the Blue and Gold.
VU 4 NNU 1
Vanessa Robles went all seven innings for the Blue and Gold and punched out five hitters during her time in the circle, which eased the pressure on everyone else. The Lions got on the board in the top of the second, as Roth got a single to center and
Adriana Portillo was hit by a pitch. Though Roth was caught trying to steal home, a pair of walks loaded the bases, and an error by the Northwest Nazarene shortstop put VU up 1-0.
Kamryn Walker then tapped a single through the middle to make it 2-0, and
Tiffany Pope took a walk to put the Lions up 3-0.
Robles gave up a double in the bottom of the second but got the next two batters out to retire the side and hold the Nighthawks in check. Cooper threw out her second runner of the day in the bottom of the third, and Robles got a strikeout with runners at first and second to end the bottom of the fourth. While NNU used an error and a single to score in the bottom of the fifth, the Blue and Gold negated that run in the top of the seventh.
Pope led off with a single and stole second, and Roth bunted her to third after that. A wild pitch allowed Pope to score, and Robles closed the door on the game to give VU a split on opening day.
VU had four runs on five hits, two errors, and eight runners left on base, while NNU had one run on four hits, two errors, and seven runners stranded. Pope and Roth led the Lions with 2-for-3 efforts each.
What's Next? Vanguard is back at the OC Great Park tomorrow for games against CSU East Bay (10:30 a.m., Field 1) and Western Oregon (4:00 p.m., Main Stadium).
