COSTA MESA, Calif. -- Vanguard softball completed a sweep of Monday's doubleheader against the Sharks of Hawaii Pacific, winning 5-4 and 10-0.  VU led for the entirety of  both games, sans the pair of runs HPU scored in the top of the first.  VU improved to 13-22 overall and 7-11 in Pacific West Conference action, while HPU dropped to 4-28, 2-22.
 
What Happened?  Back-to-back doubles allowed the Sharks to start the game with a run in the top of the first, as Mari Ipatzi made the start to open the four-game series.  After the Shark got to third, and a sacrifice fly then pushed the early HPU lead to 2-0.  Yet, the offense took advantage of its own positive situation, as Megan Ireland started the bottom half off with a walk.  That led to Lilyana Roth being asked to bunt, and while she successfully got the ball down right in front of home plate, a drop by the Shark's first baseman let the ball sail into foul territory.  Ireland easily went from first to third, with Roth comfortably easing into second.  Kamryn Walker then whacked a single to right field, and she got to second on the throw home as both VU runners scored to tie things at two.  Walker stole third shortly thereafter, and Kayla Rodriguez came to the plate with an RBI chance.  She hit an infield dribbler, but the Sharks tried to get Walker out at home, but Walker slid in safely to put Vanguard ahead 3-2.  A smart single to the left-center gap off the bat of Leah Mays brought Rodriguez in to score from second base, as the edge grew to 4-2.
 
Hawaii Pacific returned in the second with a run, as an error by VU got a runner aboard.  A single and a wild pitch put the Sharks at second and third, and a sacrifice fly brought the score to 4-3.  However, Rodriguez helped the Blue and Gold get back ahead by two by opening the third with a walk, and she got to second on a groundout by Mays.  Preslee Brower soon cashed in Rodriguez with a single back over second abse, sending the Lions ahead 5-3.  The Sharks got two on in the top of the fourth and brought a run home via a sacrifice fly, but Ipatzi escaped to maintain the lead.
 
She continued to stymie the Sharks the rest of the way, setting the visitors down in order in the sixth to nab a 5-4 win.  The Sharks had six hits and an error while stranding six runners on base.  VU had four hits and also had one error and six left aboard.  Ipatzi improved to 4-4, notching two strikeouts along the way, while four different Lions tallied hits in game one.
 
Game 2
After Lauren Cantwell got through the first without giving up a run, the VU offense surged into the lead, with Roth starting the rally with a single to shallow right field.  Walker followed her with a tall double that came up short of the fence in center field, putting the duo on second and third.  A sacrifice fly by Rodriguez put the home side ahead 1-0, and after a walk to Andrea Connor, Mays came to the plate.  She lined a bouncing ball into the left-field corner, clearing the bases for her first VU triple.
 
With a 3-0 advantage, Cantwell got some help from Roth in the second frame, as the Vanguard center fielder raced in for a beautiful diving catch to deny an HPU hit.  The Vanguard starter soon had HPU back in the dugout after that, and Ava Jo McGowan took a leadoff walk in the bottom half.  A single back up the middle by Ireland put runners on the corners, and a wild pitch allowed McGowan to race home, with Ireland getting to second.  After Ireland swiped third, Roth snaked a single to right field to make it 5-0 for VU.  Walker then reached on a fielder's choice that got Roth out, and Walker proceeded to steal both second and third to end 60 feet away.  A textbook single by Rodriguez easily cashed in Walker for a 6-0 lead, and Rodriguez stole yet another base for the Lions after that.  Back-to-back walks to Connor and Mays loaded up the bases, and Brower hit a grounder to the HPU second baseman, who flubbed the fielding attempt to score two for VU.  And while Brower was soon caught stealing, Vanguard was in the mercy-rule zone, and the lead got to 10 thanks to a pair of firsts in the fourth.
 
Alyssa Holsted collected her first collegiate hit in the bottom of the fourth, and her single turned into a run thanks to the first career triple by Connor, as she smashed a ball that hopped off the fence in right.  A single back up the middle by Brower brought Connor home, and ahead 10-0, Mia Iacomini got the final three outs to seal the deal.
 
VU had 10 hits and three runners left on base, while HPU had five left aboard on six hits, with one error in the ball game.  Mays had two RBI, tied with Rodriguez, while Ireland was the only Vanguard player to have two hits.  Cantwell improved to 3-5 and had one strikeout.
 
What was Said?  "I'm proud of our team's wins today.  This will be a tough week with the amount of games ahead, and we're looking forward to the challenge," said Head Coach Nicole Thomas. 
 
What's Next?  The two sides return to the VU Softball Field for another 2:00 p.m. doubleheader tomorrow.