COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Vanguard baseball might have fallen in the Pacific West Conference series against Concordia University Irvine on Saturday, but still, the squad grabbed the final matchup to stave off a sweep. CUI took the first game 2-1, but the Lions fought tenaciously for a 6-4 win in the twin bill, with VU ending the set at 6-21 overall and 3-18 in the league. CUI went to 16-16 overall and 14-10 in PacWest games.
What Happened? Jesus Barreto went three innings and gave up the only two CUI runs of the game, though he was only charged for one. After leaving two Golden Eagles on the bases in the second, Barreto saw a pair of singles push the first run of the contest across the plate. Vanguard countered in the bottom half for the team's only run, using the same formula to make it 1-1.
Tyler Shigenaka used his speed to beat out a grounder to the CUI shortstop, and
James Derflinger deployed the sacrifice bunt to push him to second.
Tristan Gallegos, who had a strong series overall, registered an RBI on a single that scored Shigenaka.
The Golden Eagles got a leadoff single in the fourth, and
Daniel Rivera replaced Barreto, but a walk and an error allowed CUI to go ahead for good. The Lions had chances the rest of the way, with runners getting to first and second in the sixth and seventh, but CUI pitching, combined with timely defensive plays, kept the score stationary.
VU had a 6-5 edge in hits in the game, and both teams committed two errors. CUI left seven runners on base, while Vanguard stranded 11. Both
Jaxson Davis and Shigenaka had a pair of hits to lead the VU lineup, though the squad struck out nine times in the game. Barreto dropped to 0-1, and Rivera, who went the final six innings, had four strikeouts and two walks while not giving up a run.
Game 2
Vanguard had already used 12 pitchers over three games, and in a surprising twist, reliever
Shamir Marshall made his first collegiate start in the final game of the series. On a special day for him, Marshall went four and a third, fanning three, and giving the offense chances to stay in the hunt for the win. While two CUI runs crossed the plate in the second, Vanguard immediately replied with two runs to parry the CUI attack.
Angel Perez opened the frame with a single, got to second on a wild pitch, and got to third on a failed pickoff attempt. Perez then covered the final 90 feet on an RBI single by
Joshua Sur, making it a 2-1 affair.
Nathan Hellein was hit by a pitch, pushing Sur to second, and a flyout by Derflinger got Sur to third. That proved important, as an errant pitch to
Bennett Vondrak queued Sur to scamper home and tie the game.
An error cost VU a run in the third, but the squad rocketed to the lead in the bottom of the interval. Perez got a two-out single, which brought Davis to the plate. The first pitch he saw was the only one he needed, as he belted a home run over the fence in right-center field to advance Vanguard to a 4-3 lead.
CUI was able to level the score in the top of the fifth, as a bases-loaded walk made it 4-4. That brought
Dylan Henson in to replace Marshall, who got a rousing ovation from the VU faithful. Perez then picked off a runner from behind the plate on a double steal, and a strikeout for Henson ended the danger.
VU tagged on two runs the rest of the way to secure the win, with the first coming in the fifth. Gallegos produced a single with one out and got to second at the expense of Rivera, who was thrown out trying to score from second. Yet, a wild pitch gifted Gallegos third base, and a Perez knock to center field brought Gallegos home. Ahead 5-4, the insurance run came an inning later, as Sur shelled a home run over the fence in left to put the advantage at 6-4.
Henson was clinical over his relief stint, as he fanned two and did not allow a CUI hit over the final two-plus innings to pick up the win and go to 2-3 on the year.
The Lions scored six on seven hits, with three errors and three runners left on base. CUI tallied four runs on five hits, had one error, and stranded seven runners. Both Sur and Davis had two RBI for the Blue and Gold, while Perez's 3-for-3 day at the plate led the lineup.
What's Next? The Lions go to APU on Tuesday for a 5:00 p.m. single game.
