COSTA MESA, Calif. – After taking the first two of their four-game set with No. 10 Vanguard, the Warriors were back on the field in Southern California Saturday as they looked to take the series. Coming just one out away from a series sweep, the Warriors rallied late in game two to walk away with three-of-four.
 
Happy about the series win, Head Coach Brie Campbell said, "Very proud of this team and how they didn't let up this weekend. Down 3-0 in game one with defensive struggles could have held us down, but they proved they could come back and make a game out of it."
 
This double-header started on the wrong foot for Jessup, as it was the Lions who were able to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Vanguard was methodical in their scoring, putting one run on the board in three consecutive innings.
 
Shay Trent got things going for the Warriors in the sixth inning, following a trend from Friday as she tripled to right field. The Lions then walked Seli Aholelei, putting two runners on with only one out. Aholelei was able to steal second, and a base hit to center field from Natalie Basaldua plated two runs. Later in the inning, the bases were loaded, and Liana Castro was hit by a pitch, allowing Basaldua to score.
 
With the game even at 3-3 through seven, the game went to extra innings. Jessup took the lead off a Mehana Johns double in the top of the eighth that scored Basaldua. Despite giving the tenth-ranked Lions all they had, Vanguard pulled out the win in the bottom of the eighth, scoring two runs to win 5-4.
 
Game two began with the Warriors getting right to work as they posted two runs in the opening frame. Vanguard responded in the second inning with a solo home run from their lead-off batter and later scored a run off a sac-bunt, tying the game at 2-2.
 
Jessup then began to pull away from the Lions in the third inning. Trent reached after being hit by a pitch, then proceeded to steal second before Aholelei drove her in. Run-by-run, the Warriors began adding to their total, and after Emma McConville drew a lead-off walk in the fourth, she would score as Haley Hiett got the RBI. After four innings, the Warriors held the lead, 4-2.
 
The nail in the coffin was hammered in at the top of the seventh inning, with Jessup adding three more runs. Basaldua brought in the first run of the inning with her second hit of the game, doubling to left field scoring Trent. Kaela Hangebrauck then followed suit of Basaldua as she got on with an RBI double. McConville earned the final RBI of the game with a base hit, and the scoreboard read 7-2 in the Warriors' favor after Hangebrauck crossed the plate.
 
Campbell added on her team's success at the plate, stating, "We continued to stay aggressive at the plate and on the base path throughout, proving we can continue to compete with the best. Contributions from all in the lineup make this team what they are, a unit that grinds together."
 
Katie Blankenheim was the winning pitcher as she went five innings, allowing only one run on five hits. The bats of Jessup gave them timely hitting and needed run support but just as critical as the offense was, the pitching in the circle helped close out the game. Blankenheim, along with Terra Goetz, who closed out the final two innings, kept the Lions scoreless over the last five innings.
 
Next up, the Warriors will venture back down south as they will see San Diego Christian on March 26 and 27 for a pair of double-headers. Those games can be live-streamed HERE.
 
   
William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter and Instagram).