LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. -- Fitting in two games before the Super Bowl kicked off, Vanguard Softball claimed a pair of victories to conclude the tournament. VU beat Western New Mexico 5-2 and Colorado Mesa 11-0, and enter the week at 6-5 overall.
VU 5 WNMU 2
Lauren Cantwell had her best stint from the circle so far on Sunday morning, as she went all seven innings and fanned nine WNMU hitters. While she did walk three and give up two runs on eight hits, she negated dangerous chances for the Mustangs to tie it, with WNMU leaving seven runners left on base.
The offense lifted the team into the lead in the top of the third, as
Bella Bastien dropped a single in the infield. After a
Kamryn Walker single, the WNMU right fielder made a mistake, which allowed the duo to reach second and third.
Lilyana Roth then smacked a hard shot to the shortstop, who made another mistake, which allowed both Walker and Bastien to score.
A walk opened the bottom of the third, as the Mustangs brought home one run on a single and a ground out to cut the line to 2-1. Yet
Tiffany Pope helped out her squad by igniting the top of the fourth with a leadoff double, and two sacrifice hits, a bunt by
Andrea Connor and a fly out by
Carson Cooper, brought her in to put the Blue and Gold up 3-1. Once more, Western New Mexico scored a run in the bottom half, but that would be the final run that Cantwell allowed.
Ahead 3-2,
Leah Mays singled to begin the top of the fifth, and Bastien dropped a sacrifice bunt, and the speed of Mays got her to third base. A groundout by Walker cashed in Mays, and the Lions tacked on another run in the top of the seventh thanks to Mays and Walker. This time, Mays got a single with one out, then swiped second, with a Bastien groundout pushing her to third. Walker hit another grounder, but the WNMU second baseman did not make the play, with Mays crossing home to make it 5-2.
VU scored five runs on eight hits and left three runs aboard, while WNMU had two runs, eight hits, and three errors. Roth, Pope, and Mays each had two hits.
VU 11 CMU 0
The Blue and Gold let the bats do all the talking in the final game of the DI West Coast Challenge, as the Lions swatted 15 hits for 11 runs.
Vanessa Robles also did her bit, as she gave up only two hits and struck out four CMU batters in five innings.
Working a walk to open the game, Walker scooted to second on a wild pitch and then stole third, with Roth dropping in a single to get the initial run on the board. Roth then stole second and advanced to third, with an
Adriana Portillo single making it 2-0. Pope plunked down a single and got to second when Connor was hit by a pitch. Cooper's single to the left-center gap brought home Pope, making it 3-0, and that was just the warmup act.
VU had nine batters in the first but went through 11 in the second, as the Lions bashed six runs across the plate in the top of the second. A Walker single started things again. and then swiped second. A throwing error let her take possession of third base and Roth brought her home with a single. Portillo followed with a single, and Pope launched a double to grab two RBI, with an error on a grounder by Connor scoring Pope.
Megan Ireland got a single, and after she stole second, a Mays slap to center brought home Ireland and Connor to make it 9-0.
In the top of the fourth, Mays had a one-out single and then stole second before getting to third on a past ball. Yet a Walker double was more than enough for her to score, with Walker scoring on back-to-back wild pitches.
Pope had a 4-for-4 day to end her tournament, and she tied Mays and Roth with a pair of RBI each. Portillo went 3-for-4, while Roth, Walker, and Mays each had two hits.
What's Next? Vanguard concludes this hustle of games with a 10:00 a.m. doubleheader at home against Lubbock Christian tomorrow.
