COSTA MESA, Calif. – Amid a grueling stretch of 12 games in 11 days, Academy of Art softball logged double-digit hits (10) including back-to-back run-scoring singles midway through a 3-2 victory in the Pacific West Conference series opener with Vanguard. The Lions would, however, even things up with an 8-0 win to end the day as the two sides demonstrated their offensive capabilities at VU Softball Field on Saturday.

GAME 1 – ART U 3, VU 2
Vanguard turned just one hit into a run in the opening inning, but that lead quickly disappeared when a pair of singles culminated with a delayed double steal attempt that saw sophomore pitcher/utility Kayla Vaughan (4-11) swipe home to tie the game. The Lions responded with another run in the bottom of the second, but Vaughan and the ART U defense turned double plays in each of the next two innings to keep the score at 2-1.

In the fifth, a leadoff double by freshman outfielder Danielle Shinko was soon followed by back-to-back run-scoring singles from sophomore outfielder Ari Mallari and senior catcher/infielder Liberty Herrera, putting the Knights in front 3-2. And there the score would remain as Vaughan limited Vanguard to just one hit in the final three frames, ending with her fourth win after allowing just two runs on six hits and two walks over 7.0 innings pitched.

GAME 2 – VU 8, ART U 0 (6)
Two hits including a triple helped Vanguard start the second contest up 1-0 in the first inning before the margin became 2-0 in second on a pair of singles. Though the Lions were limited to just one hit over the next two innings, two more multi-run rallies came in the fifth and sixth frames to end the contest at 8-0 prior to reaching the seventh.

Improving to 6-28 on the year and 4-15 in PacWest action, ART U had multi-hit games (both 2-for-3 efforts) come from Herrera and graduate student outfielder Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki in the opening contest with the former adding her 15th run batted in of the season. Junior infielder Audrey Allen had hits in both contests along with one stolen base while freshman infielder Riannah Maulupe saw her reached base streak end at 22 games following her single in the series opener.

Vanguard, just slightly in front of Academy of Art in the PacWest standings at 9-24 overall and 4-13 in conference play, was led by Adriana Portillo's 4-for-7, two-run-batted-in, and three-run afternoon while Brianna Williams (4-11) took the game one loss with three runs allowed on eight hits and four strikeouts in 5.0 innings then LeeAnne Miranda (2-4) tossed a one-hit shutout with four strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work to end the day.

After a day off from competition tomorrow, the series between the Knights and Lions will complete their series with another noon doubleheader on Monday, Mar. 31.