COSTA MESA, Calif. -- The Lions split the final two games of the series against Stanislaus State on Saturday morning, winning game one 6–2, and falling in game two 8–3. Jake Hiner started on the mound for the Lions in the first contest and earned his first win of the season, while James Derflinger led the way offensively with five hits, and Colton Perez drove in five RBIs across both contests for VU.  The Lions end the series at 3-3, and Stanislaus went to 5-1.

VU 6  Stanislaus State 2
The first game of Saturday's doubleheader saw Hiner at his best through six innings of work, allowing the Lions' offense to take control early.  He finished with four strikeouts and gave up only one run on four hits without issuing a walk.  With their man on the bump dealing, the offense rewarded him in the bottom of the first. 

Tyler Shigenaka and Jaxson Davis opened the frame with back-to-back singles, and with one out, Perez stepped to the plate. The left-hander launched a ball deep over the right-center field wall to give the Lions an early three-run lead and record his second home run of the season. Derflinger then extended the lead in the third inning, as after Perez reached on an error, Derflinger crushed a home run to left field.  His second of the season keeps him on pace with Perez in the season box score.

The Warriors broke through in the sixth, stringing together a pair of base hits before an offline throw allowed a runner to score, making it 5–1. After a good ovation for Hiner at the end of the top of the sixth, Tyler Prystajko entered in the seventh. However, the Warriors added another run in that inning, as a pair of hits and a balk, with the bases loaded, made it 5-2.  However, Prystajko escaped the inning with a groundout to thwart the visitors.

The Lions responded in the bottom of the seventh, as Derflinger and Daniel Rivera each hit doubles, with Derflinger scoring to push the lead back to four at 6–2.  Braden Turner relieved Prystajko in the ninth and recorded two strikeouts to close out the victory in game one.

Hiner improved to 1–1 on the season, and the Lions matched their season high with 12 hits, previously set on opening day against Saint Martin's. Derflinger went 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Perez finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. The Lions survived four errors and left 11 runners in play, while Stanislaus had two runs, seven hits, two errors, and 10 men left on the base paths.

Stanislaus State 8, VU 3
Seth Wrightstone took the mound in the twin bill and held the Warriors in check through four and a third innings, while the Lions' offense picked up where it left off in game 1.

The Blue and Gold quickly loaded the bases with a leadoff single from Shigenaka, Derflinger getting hit by a pitch, and Tristan Gallegos taking a walk. Perez delivered once more with a two-RBI single to give the Lions the lead, and though Angel Perez recorded his first hit of the afternoon, VU could not tag on anything else.

The Warriors replied in the top of the second in a similar fashion, using two singles and a walk to load the bases before a full-count walk brought home a run to make it 2–1. Vanguard answered immediately, as Joshua Sur drew a leadoff walk in the bottom half.  He advanced on a sacrifice bunt to second, moved to third on a groundout, and then got to have an easy jog home on a Derflinger double to restore a two-run advantage.

Wrightstone allowed a few hits over the next two innings but limited the damage, finishing his outing with five strikeouts. But the Warriors capitalized on the pitching change, scoring seven runs off Dylan Henson and Christopher Ceballos over the final three innings to seize control. Stanislaus State held on the rest of the way, with VU mustering only two hits, as the visitors secured an 8–3 win.

Stanislaus had eight runs on 11 hits and left eight runners aboard.  VU had three runs on six hits, comitted one one error, and stranded eight runners.  Henson dropped to 0-1, and Derflinger was the only Lion to get two hits in game two (2-for-4).

What was Said?  "Disappointing final results, but there were a number of positives along the way," stated Head Coach Rob Pegg.  We've been put in some tough situations the last two weekends that will prepare us well for the coming conference schedule.  I like were we are at as we continue to grow."

What's Next?  Vanguard travels to Northern California for a four-game series at Jessup, a team projected to finish in the top four of the conference in the preseason poll. The Pacific West Conference series opens Friday, February 13, at 11 a.m.