ATHERON, Calif. -- Vanguard softball commenced its spring break trip to Northern California with a brace of games against Menlo on Monday.  While the Lions engaged smartly with the Oaks in game one, the squad fell 5-4 when MC won in the bottom of the seventh.  Menlo had the better second game, as the home side won 8-0 in five innings.  The Lions dropped to 8-15 overall and 2-4 in Pacific West Conference action, while MC improved to 5-22, 3-10.
 
What Happened?  The offense taped two runs on the board in the first to give Vanguard an early edge.  Lilyana Roth got a two-out single to extend the frame, and Adriana Portillo blasted a double to the right-center gap to send Roth home.  After Kayla Rodriguez took a walk, ChaCha Miranda sent a single back up the middle to score Portillo.
 
Vanessa Robles surrendered two walks and a double to the Oaks in the bottom half, which cut the score to 2-1, but she quieted Menlo over the next two frames.  Unfortunately, Robles hit a rough patch in the bottom of the fourth, as a trio of singles and a pair of errors helped Menlo take a 4-2 advantage.  Mari Ipatzi got the final out of the frame, and the Lions set to work to rebound on the scoreboard.
 
Kamryn Walker placed a tidy bunt with one out in the top of the fifth for a single, and Roth followed her by blasting a ball to the fence.  As Walker scored, Roth easily got to third, but as she slid in, a bad MC throw allowed her to stand up and scamper home to tie things at 4-4.
 
VU could have gone ahead in the sixth, as the squad loaded up the bases, but a flyout canceled the chance.  A single, a sacrifice bunt, and another single doomed the Blue and Gold in the bottom of the seventh, as the Oaks walked away with a 5-4 victory. 

Each side had eight hits, with the Lions owning three errors and MC one.  VU left seven runners aboard, while the Oaks left eight.  Ipatzi dropped to 0-2 but had three strikeouts, while Robles had one.  Walker and Roth each went 2-for-4.
 
Game 2
Unfortunately, both Mia Iacomini and Lauren Cantwell each gave up three runs to Menlo, as MC led 3-0 after the first and scored one in the second and two in the fourth.  Ipatzi was again called upon, but three more runs crossed the plate, taking the hosts to an 8-0 lead.  With no runs in the top of the fifth, and only three hits in the game, VU took its second defeat of the day.
 
Walker, Tiffany Pope, and Leah Mays all had singles for VU in the twin bill.
 
What's Next?  The Lions return to Atherton tomorrow for another doubleheader starting at noon.