03/06/09
Vanguard Shares Pair with Bruins
Costa Mesa, Calif. – The Vanguard Lions came from behind to pull out a 5-4 win in game one of a nonconference softball double header with the Bethany Bruins. Unfortunately, VUSC was shutout 2-0 in game two, falling into a split with the Bruins.
Bethany scored an unearned run in the top of the second inning and increased the lead to 4-0 with a three-run fourth inning against the Lions. A leadoff walk from VU freshman hurler Emilee Reaber equaled trouble for the hosts, as BU’s Cassie Olp scored on a single by Mallory Stemme. Two more RBI base hits put the Lions in a four-run hole and brought on a call to the Vanguard bullpen for junior Kelsey Gunneman. Gunneman retired the final out of the inning and held the Bruins scoreless the rest of the way.
The Vanguard offense finally got to work in the bottom of the fourth inning, cutting one run off the lead when Brittany Parlopino singled home Jenna Bergh. Kasey Klarenbach started VU’s fifth inning rally with a one out infield single. A walk to April Glenn opened the door to a big inning as Bergh singled home the first run of the frame. The Lions continued the two-out rally with a pair of Bruin errors and had taken a 5-4 lead by the end of the inning.
Although begin outhit 10-9 and committing four errors, the Lions squeaked out the 5-4 victory with Gunneman (5-2) earning the win with 3.1 innings of work in relief.
Junior Melissa Forrester sprinkled three hits, a walk, and a hit batter in the first five innings of game two and was deep into a scoreless pitching duel when she went to the circle in the top of the sixth inning. The Bruins knocked a leadoff hit but the Lions got the next two outs before a walk by Forrester put two runners on base with two outs and the lead at stake. A two-out single would give the Bruins a 1-0 lead, and lead to a pitching change for the Lions. Sophomore Patty Olvera entered the circle in relief with a second run crossing the plate on a passed ball before Olvera could escape further damage.
The 2-run deficit would be enough for the Bruins to gain a split as the Lions managed only three hits in seven innings in game two. Vanguard had the tying runs on base in the seventh but could not get them home, falling to 10-7 overall.
The Lions will begin conference play tomorrow when they travel down to San Diego to take on the Point Loma Sea Lions, the third-ranked team in the NAIA.
Game 1 Boxscore
Game 2 Boxscore