COSTA MESA -- After going 3–2 at the CUI Kickoff Classic, the Lions opened up at home with the 2025 NAIA National Champions, Southern Oregon, coming to town for a doubleheader. The Raiders picked up right where they left off after winning it all last year, winning 11–2 and 5–0.
Mari Ipatzi led the way in the circle for the Lions with three clean innings and five strikeouts. VU dropped to 3-5, while SOU opened their title defense at 2-0.
GAME 1: SOU 11, VU 2
Lauren Cantwell started for the Lions in Game 1, and though the Raiders tallied two hits in the top of the first, they had nothing to show it. However, the Raiders put the game away after that, scoring 11 runs over the second and third innings to go ahead 11-0. Cantwell was replaced by
Mia Iacomini during that span, as each lasted one full inning.
The Lions broke through for a hit in the fourth, as
Hailey Ibarra singled to right field, taking away a no-hitter from last season's NAIA Pitcher of the Year Ayla Davies.
Tiffany Pope followed with a single of her own, and
Andrea Connor knocked in a run with an infield single, as an offline throw allowed pinch runner
Adriana Portillo to score.
The fifth inning saw the introduction of
Kamryn Walker, who crushed a ball well over the right-field wall for her first home run of the season and the sixth of her Vanguard career.
Preslee Brower and
Megan Ireland also added base hits in the bottom of the fifth, as the game ended there with a final score of 11–2.
SOU tallied 11 runs on 13 hits, with one error and nine runners left on base. VU had two runs on five hits, five errors, and three runners left aboard. Cantwell dropped to 0-2.
GAME 2: SOU 5, VU 0
Summer Stephens got the nod in the circle and kept the Raiders off the board through the first two frames. The Lions' offense showed improvement in game two, tallying seven total hits, including a first-inning double from Pope that split the gap into left field, one of her three hits on the day.
The score remained 0–0 until the top of the third, when the Raiders' first two runs came on wild pitches before a double drove in run number three. In response,
Bella Bastien, Lily Roth, and Pope all singled in the bottom of the third, but heads-up defensive play from the Raiders' infield kept the score at 3–0.
Vanessa Robles entered in relief for Stephens in the fourth and worked two clean innings before the top of the sixth, when Southern Oregon added a fourth run on a sacrifice fly hit to deep center field. The run marked the first conceded by Robles after 14 innings of work in 2026.
Portillo added another base hit for the Lions in the bottom of the sixth, bringing their total to seven hits, matching the Raiders' total in Game two, but a run was unable to score. The Raiders put the finishing touch on the game with one more run in the top of the seventh on a double to left field, though Pope saved a run at the plate with a strong throw to Walker, with
Ava Jo McGowan applying the tag.
SOU had five runs on seven hits, one error, and six runners left on base. VU had one error and five runners left aboard. Stephens dropped to 0-1, and Pope had a 2-for-3 game at the plate.
What's Next?
The Lions travel to Lake Elsinore for the DII West Coast Challenge, facing Simon Fraser and Colorado Christian tomorrow before wrapping up the weekend against Western New Mexico and Colorado Mesa on Sunday.
