By Beth Renkoski

03/12/09

Lions ROAR Past Trojans

Tyler Gentry connects for 1st home run

Freeman had 4 hits, 5 runs, & 4 RBI for VU

Costa Mesa, Calif. - The Vanguard Lions brought their heavy bats with them to the diamond today as they slammed four home runs for the second day in a row and collected 17 hits in the 22-2 trouncing of the Trinity International Trojans in a nonconference baseball game.

Trinity scored an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but it would be one of the few highlights for the Trojans on the day, second only to a solo home run by Scott Lawson in the top of the seventh.

In the meantime, the Lions were busy piling on runs. Vanguard posted big innings with four runs or more four times during the contest, with a six-run seventh being the largest.

Keegan Freeman blasted a two-run dinger to left with no outs in the bottom of the third inning, and Nick Akins completed VU’s rally with a three-run bomb, also to left field.

Jason Schaniel supplied the power in the sixth as he slammed a two-run shot over the right-center fence off of TIU’s fourth pitcher of the day, padding Vanguard’s lead to 12-1.

The Lions were far from done offensively as they came back with another big rally in the seventh to put the game completely out of reach. Sophomore Tyler Gentry, pinch-hitting for Schaniel, made good use of his first collegiate at bat. Following a two-out, run-scoring double by Freeman, Gentry belted his first collegiate homer to left-center field. A Trojan error opened the door for three more Vanguard runs as the Lions sent 12 batters to the plate in the inning.

Vanguard completed its scoring with five runs on one hit, four walks, and an error in the bottom of the eighth to cap the 22-2 victory and by far surpass its highest run total of the season.

VU’s starting pitcher Brett Siegmund (1-0) earned his first win of the season as he worked six innings of one-hit, one-run ball before giving up the solo homer to Larson in the top of the seventh. Striking out the next batter, he handed the game over to sophomore Bryce Reid who allowed two hits in the final 2.2 innings of the game.

Freeman led VU’s 17-hit attack (off six Trojan pitchers) with four hits, four RBIs, and five runs scored in six at bats. Schaniel tallied four RBIs and four runs scored on just two hits, while Akins added two runs, two hits, and three runs batted in for the Lions. Jacob Wood and Brett Halstead also had multi-hit games with two hits apiece.

TIU tallied four hits, including three by Lawson, but had five errors on defense and drops to 1-5 this season.

The Lions improve to 6-11 overall and will be back in action this weekend when they travel to Westmont for a noon GSAC double header in Santa Barbara.

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